Good friends/actors, Larenz Tate and Bill Bellamy, were all smiles this weekend as the cast and crew of the cult classic romantic film, Love Jones, reunited to celebrate its release 20 years ago. Hol’ up…can y’all believe it’s been 20 years already? Every last one of the cast members look like they haven’t aged one bit. The anniversary party turned into a double date night for Tate and Bellamy, who brought along their spouses and family for the epic celebration.

Sometimes it takes time for a movie to get the respect it deserves and it seems that Love Jones is finally getting acknowledged. It was amazing night at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater filled with excitement and memories as the crowd drifted back in time to 1997 when Love Jones was first released. The classic love story stands out because there are just not many films that feature African-American characters falling in love. Many films today feature African-Americans that are slaves, impoverished, involved in drugs, or killed in the first scene. Movies like Love Jones are a dying breed.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Love Jones, The Academy showed a special screening of the event followed by a conversation. All the original cast and crew were there for the epic night! Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs explained why they decided to acknowledge the Theodore Witcher film.

We look back and realize this stereotype-breaking, genre-redefining cult classic delivered a powerful message—without a lecture

Not only was the night a great night because of the stars that were in the house, but it was refreshing to see Larenz Tate and his wife Tomasina Parrott and Bill and Kristen Bellamy. Fans of the movie, Love Jones, remember the tension between their on screen characters, but in real life, Bellamy and Tate are like brothers.