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A Thin Line Between Love and Hate
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Martin Lawrence
Screenplay by	Martin Lawrence; Bentley Kyle Evans; Kenny Buford; Kim Bass;
Story by	Martin Lawrence
Produced by	George Jackson; Doug McHenry;
Starring	Martin Lawrence; Lynn Whitfield; Regina King; Bobby Brown; Daryl Mitchell; Roger E. Mosley; Della Reese;
Cinematography	Francis Kenny
Edited by	John Carter
Music by	Roger Troutman
Production; companies	Jackson-McHenry Entertainment; You Go Boy! Productions;
Distributed by	New Line Cinema; Savoy Pictures;
Release date	April 3, 1996;
Running time	108 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$8 million
Box office	$34.8 million

A Thin Line Between Love and Hate is a 1996 American comedy thriller film starring and directed by Martin Lawrence in his feature film directorial debut. It tells the story of Darnell Wright (Lawrence), a ladies' man who finds himself stalked by one of his obsessed lovers: Brandi (Lynn Whitfield), an attractive and successful, but unstable older realtor businesswoman.

Along with directing and starring in the film, Lawrence co-wrote the screenplay alongside Kenny Buford, Bentley Kyle Evans and Kim Bass. Released on April 3, 1996, the film grossed over $34 million at the box office against a budget of $8 million. As of 2024, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate is the only film that Lawrence has ever directed.

Plot

Nightclub manager Darnell Wright is a perpetual playboy and hopeless male chauvinist. He works for a nightclub called Chocolate City and aspires to be its co-owner. He trades VIP privileges at the club for favors from women. Though he is an expert at conning women, he sometimes worries about what his childhood sweetheart Mia thinks of his adventures. He realizes he has feelings for her.

When the beautiful and wealthy Brandi Web steps out of a limousine to enter the club, Darnell feels that he's met his ultimate challenge.

She initially rejects his come-ons, which only fuels his appetite. He pursues her, showing up with flowers at her office. He finally wins over Brandi, only to find out that he's really in love with Mia. He breaks ties with all his other girlfriends.

One morning, Darnell awakes to find Brandi in his kitchen making bacon and pancakes. She wants him to hold her, but he pushes her off aggressively. However, Brandi doesn't take kindly to rejection. She becomes an obsessed femme fatale: stalking him, nearly running him over, taking all four wheels off his SUV to ground him from his rounds, shattering his windshield, and setting his nightclub on fire. She hits herself with a fruit-stuffed stocking to cause herself bruises without fingerprints, and repeatedly slams a door on her arm injuring herself.

When Darnell goes to see Mia at the hospital, Brandi is there instead and he is arrested for a false domestic violence charge. She continues harassing and stalking Darnell, then threatens Mia's life.

Ending his relationship with Mia is not enough to satisfy Brandi who finally administers Darnell's punishment for his womanizing. Darnell quickly learns the hard way that if you "play", you have to "pay."

Darnell, now suffering from a gun wound attempts to take the gun from Brandi when she attempts to shoot Mia. The struggle causes Brandi, Mia, and he to fall out of a window and land in a pool.

Darnell awakes from the fall in a hospital, with all his friends, family, and Mia standing over him. He decides to change his life for the better and start a life with Mia. Darnell is grateful that Brandi showed him what love really is. Brandi is arrested and imprisoned.

Cast

Martin Lawrence as Darnell Wright
Lynn Whitfield as Brandi Web
Regina King as Mia Williams
Bobby Brown as "Tee"
Daryl M. Mitchell as Earl
Roger E. Mosley as Smitty
Della Reese as Mama Wright
Simbi Khali as Adrienne
Tangie Ambrose as Nikki
Wendy Robinson as Gwen
Malinda Williams as Erica Wright
Stacii Jae Johnson as "Peaches"
Miguel A. Núñez Jr. as Reggie
Faizon Love as Manny
Michael Bell as Marvis
Michael Taliferro as Club Security
Tiny Lister as Tyrone
Tracy Morgan as Sean, The Bartender

Style

The plot of A Thin Line Between Love and Hate was influenced by Boomerang and Fatal Attraction.^[2] The opening sequence, depicting Darnell lying unconscious and fully clothed face down in a swimming pool while narrating the events that led him to there, was influenced by Billy Wilder's 1950 film Sunset Boulevard.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] The film has been classified as a comedy thriller.^[4]^[7]^[8]