Filmgoers who avoided Get on the Bus, expecting a harangue from Spike Lee in support of Louis Farrakhan's Million Man March, missed a good thing. Lee and his writer, Reggie Bythewood, do create the standard bomber crew cast of characters (ex-con, elderly vet of the Civil Rights era, gay couple, vain actor, light-skinned cop, Republican conservative) and mix them together for a cross-country trip, but the dramatic (and occasional comedic) payoff is well worth the setup. Not everyone on the bus is in step with Minister Farrakhan, but everyone does agree that it's time for black men to stand up and literally be counted. Lee allows his cast to become more than a set of talking heads; their back stories are economically sketched in, and by the end of their trip, there's a sense of pleasant familiarity among them and with us. Although Lee was working under limited time and budget constraints, the passion for his subject overcame all obstacles. It's an underrated achievement that deserves a wider audience of all colors.