Ten years after its debut, New Jersey Drive principals remember a time when stealing cars was as casual as sex.

In 1992 the news was as fascinating as it was disturbing. Rebellious Newark, New Jersey kids, ranging in age from 13 to 18, were stealing Acuras, Nissan Maximas, Mustangs, and Toyotas not for profit, but for sport. Timberland and Carhartt-clad kids engaged in dangerous high-speed chases with a trigger-happy police force dogged by allegations of police brutality. New York Times reporter Michel Marriott was the first to report on those wild days in Brick City. The veteran journalist was pursued by young Boston film director Nick Gomez, who wanted to turn his award-winning investigative series on Newark’s car thieves, and their attempts to joyride their way out of the bleak misery of the hood and police brutality, into a feature length film. But while Marriott was impressed with Gomez’s critically acclaimed, gritty gunrunning drama, Laws of Gravity, he initially wanted no part of Tinsel Town.

“At that time I had a lot of writing friends that would try to do stuff with Hollywood, and almost all that stuff would end up in development hell,” Marriott remembers of his initial talks with Gomez. “But after seeing how serious Nick was about writing this script I said, ‘If somebody is going to do the film, this is the guy to do it.’”

Released in April of 1995, New Jersey Drive did not reach the commercial heights of other so called “urban” flicks like Juice, New Jack City, and Menace II Society, even with the powerful backing of legendary director-turned-executive-producer Spike Lee. However, the $7 million dollar morality tale, which depicted the daily struggles of teenage car bandits Jason (Sharron Corley), two-fisted partner Midget (Gabriel Casseus), Jason’s loving, strong-willed mother (Gwen McGee) and crew, managed to outlive its lukewarm box office run to become a VHS and DVD cult classic. A briskly selling soundtrack featuring The Notorious B.I.G., Outkast, Redman, Queen Latifah and others further pushed New Jersey Drive’s agenda. Ten years later, Gomez wonders how he ever got through the production.

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