O (2001) (Signature Series)

A modern reworking of William Shakespeare's "Othello" set in an elite private school located deep in the American South, Mekhi Phifer portrays NBA hopeful Odin James, the only black student at the school. Odin not only enjoys widespread popularity with the students, he is dating Desi Brable (Julia Stiles), the daughter of the Dean of Palmetto Grove Academy (John Heard). Odin's best friend, Hugo Goulding (Josh Hartnett), drawn closely from Shakespeare's Iago, is a starting forward on the basketball team, and the son of Coach Duke Goulding (Martin Sheen). Hugo has been asked by his father to look out for Odin because of the particular pressures facing him at Palmetto Grove. Yet Hugo is bitterly envious of Odin and the attention Odin receives from the coach and everyone else at school. An introspective and somewhat mysterious young man, Hugo seeks to manipulate those around him to his own private ends. Placed by his own father in the role of Odin's confidante, Hugo is, in reality, seeking to destroy the very person he pretends to befriend. As the basketball season comes to a dramatic finish, conflict among the six friends escalates into irrevocable tragedy when Hugo executes a plan prompting Odin to throw away all that he cares about most - the woman he loves, his bright future, his very soul.