A Thin Line Between Love and Hate

{{Infobox film

| name = A Thin Line Between Love and Hate

| image = ThinLineMoviePoster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Martin Lawrence

| producer = {{plainlist|

}}

| screenplay = {{plainlist|

Martin Lawrence
Bentley Kyle Evans
Kenny Buford
Kim Bass

}}

| story = Martin Lawrence

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Roger Troutman

| editing = John Carter

| cinematography = Francis Kenny

| studio = {{plainlist|

Jackson-McHenry Entertainment
You Go Boy! Productions

}}

| distributor = {{plainlist|

}}

| released = {{Film date|1996|4|3}}

| runtime = 108 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $8 million

| gross = $34.8 million{{cite web |title=A Thin Line Between Love & Hate (1996) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Thin-Line-Between-Love-and-Hate-A#tab=summary |website=The Numbers }}

}}

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 2025, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate is the only film that Lawrence has ever directed.

Plot

Darnell Wright, a playboy and nightclub manager at Chocolate City, is known for trading VIP access for favors from women, despite harboring lingering feelings for his childhood sweetheart, Mia. Ambitious and self-assured, Darnell aspires to become a co-owner of the club.

When Brandi Web, a wealthy and enigmatic woman, enters the club, Darnell sees her as a challenge and begins to pursue her romantically. Though she initially rejects him, he eventually wins her over. As their relationship deepens, Darnell realizes he is truly in love with Mia and ends things with Brandi.

Brandi does not take the rejection well and becomes dangerously obsessed. Her behavior escalates from stalking Darnell to damaging his property, fabricating a domestic abuse incident, and ultimately threatening Mia’s life. Despite Darnell breaking off contact and attempting to protect Mia, Brandi’s fixation intensifies.

The conflict culminates in a violent confrontation in which Brandi, Darnell, and Mia fall from a window into a pool during a struggle over a firearm. Darnell survives the ordeal and awakens in the hospital surrounded by his loved ones. He resolves to change his ways and build a future with Mia. Brandi is arrested and imprisoned, and Darnell reflects on the experience as a painful but necessary turning point in his life.

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.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/a-thin-line-between-love-and-hate-1200445703/ |title=A Thin Line Between Love and Hate |last=Lowry |first=Brian |date=March 31, 1996 |publisher=Variety |access-date=2022-06-01 |archive-date=2022-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601172043/https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/a-thin-line-between-love-and-hate-1200445703/amp/ |url-status=live }} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1996-04-03-1996094165-story.html |title=Glad to be a gigolo, until the end, that is Movie review: "A Thin Line" watches as bad boy plays, and then pays the price. |last=Hunter |first=Stephen |date=April 2, 1996 |publisher=Baltimore Sun |access-date=2022-06-01 |archive-date=2022-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601180728/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1996-04-03-1996094165-story.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/1996-04-19/a-thin-line-between-love-and-hate/ |title=A Thin Line Between Love and Hate |last=Baumgarten |first=Marjorie |date=April 19, 1996 |publisher=Austin Chronicle |access-date=2022-06-01 |archive-date=2022-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601173010/https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/1996-04-19/a-thin-line-between-love-and-hate/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.deseret.com/1996/4/30/20088782/film-review-thin-line-between-love-and-hate-the?_amp=true |title=Film review: Thin Line Between Love and Hate, The |author=Staff |date=April 30, 1996 |publisher=Deseret News |access-date= |quote= |archive-date=June 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601172043/https://www.deseret.com/1996/4/30/20088782/film-review-thin-line-between-love-and-hate-the?_amp=true |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-thin-line-between-love-and-hate-1 |title=A Thin Line Between Love and Hate |author=WH |date=September 10, 2012 |publisher=Time Out |access-date=2022-06-01}} The film has been classified as a comedy thriller.{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/thin-line-love-hate-review/ |title=A jilted businesswoman gets her own back on Martin Lawrence's womanising nightclub owner. |last=Bignell |first=Darren |date=January 1, 2000 |publisher=Empire |access-date=2022-06-01}}{{cite web |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-sm5x9l/a-thin-line-between-love-and-hate/ |title=A Thin Line between Love and Hate |last=Jones |first=Alan |publisher=Radio Times |access-date=2022-06-01 |archive-date=2022-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601180143/https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-sm5x9l/a-thin-line-between-love-and-hate/ |url-status=live }}

Reception

A Thin Line Between Love and Hate grossed $34,873,513 at the box office against a budget of $8 million.

The critical reception of the film was mostly negative. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a 15% rating based on 26 reviews.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thin_line_between_love_and_hate/|title=A Thin Line Between Love and Hate|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=2022-06-01|archive-date=2022-05-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521063134/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thin_line_between_love_and_hate|url-status=live}}

Soundtrack

class="wikitable" !rowspan="2"\|Year !rowspan="2"\|Album !colspan="1"\|Peak chart positions !rowspan="2"\|Certifications
width=40\|U.S.
1996 \|*A Thin Line Between Love and Hate* Released: January 30, 1996 Label: Warner Bros. \|align="center"\|22 \| US: Gold

class="wikitable"

!rowspan="2"|Year

!rowspan="2"|Album

!colspan="1"|Peak chart positions

!rowspan="2"|Certifications

width=40|U.S.

1996

|A Thin Line Between Love and Hate