Matt Connarton Unleashed: Erich Pilcher reviews Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Yo, cousin. I I know why you got the car last night.

Shouldn't have been there in the first place. You don't want to come back

to haunt. You ain't been up this early in a long time. Turned

on the TV this morning about about living in a violent, a violent world.

Showed all these foreign places, foreigners living on I started thinking, man,

either they don't know, don't show. I don't care about what's going

on in the hood. They had all this form. I got no brother

kind of mother need. In nineteen eighty nine, a first time filmmaker took

a newly discovered rap star and several other at the time unknown actors and actresses

and sought to craft a film that would show viewers the life in South central

Los Angeles. What came from this film was a powerful look at one of

the most notorious inner cities in America. That first time director was John Singleton.

In this week's film is his semi autobiographical debut, Boys in the Hood.

The film follows three men from grade school to high school. Trey Ricky

in his brother dough Boy played by Cuba Gooding, Junior, Morris Chestnut,

and Ice Cube, respectively, rounding out the cast. Is Lawrence Fishburne,

Angela Bassett in Nia Long. In our opening clip, ice Cube tells Trey

about the problems of growing up in the hood, especially in their area.

Our next clip is from a nineteen ninety one episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show

shortly after the film's release, where Singleton talks about how his real life experiences

played a role in the making of this film. There's a new movie that

really cuts to the heart of an American crisis. Boys in the Hood.

It is an important movie. This movie was written and directed by a young

black man who is only twenty three years old. He's with us today.

Welcome John Singleton. You say, we're talking about this just briefly. John.

At the beginning of the film, before there's really any opening credits or

anything, the title comes up and it says, one out of seventeen black

American males will be murdered each year, and most of them at the hands

of another black male. Is that why you did the film? Yeah?

Actually, I did the film actually to show how the difference between what a

responsible, you know, open minded black man would do and raising his son,

and so I could contrast that to the way, you know, his

son's two friends would be raised just by their mother. And we were showing

the film. You know, that's a mother in the film who raises her

two sons and one she overly loves and he becomes irresponsible and a teenage father.

Another one she doesn't love enough, and he becomes a gangster. And

that's dope boy, that's cubes character. Is the story that you told in

Boys in the Hood your own story, well, well, the story of

Boys in her It's just a catalyst for me when I went to live with

my father. I went to live with my father when I was twelve years

old. My father whipped me into shape, you know, straight up,

you know, made I did too i was fourteen. Does have a way

of doing that, you know. He made me mowd a line and take

off the trash stuff like that. Actually, one of my faver had to

do. You know. One of my favorite lines in the movie is when

this whole audience again as his seenior the film is when Tray goes to live

his father and the little boys are out on the lawn and he offers them

some money. The father offers him some money. Larry officers him some money

to cut the lawn and they say, and he offers them five dollars and

they say, man, who you think we are cool to kinta? Well,

I think that's what's so wonderful about your film is it is I think,

just an excellent portrayal of a middle class black father. Not lots of

money, not driving a bins, just just a strong black, hardworking brother

that that cares for a son and you know, cares how a son is

raised. Mm hmmm. And we you know, we need more brothers that

that, you know, if they're going to have a child, they have

to look out for the well being of their of their children. As Singleton

stated his childhood, growing up with his father was an overwhelming influence. This

film features a nice comparison of parenting. First, we hear dough boy and

Ricky's single mom be rate dough boy, who becomes a criminal and gang banger

in his adult years in dotes on Ricky. Then, when Trey goes to

live with his father to learn how to be a man as a young child,

we hear the teachings Furious played by Laurence Fishburne, gifts Trey in hopes

of him becoming a respected man and not a victim of the streets. You

ain't just like your dad. You don't do you never go down my All

you ever do around here is eat, sleeping, sh Look at this place

where y'all ask. Y'all must think I'm the maid. It's not it,

because hell no, it ain't it. It ain't it till I say it's

it. Damn it is that it. Boy, don't get smart with me,

because I'll knock your ass in the middle of next week. And where

you're going anywhere you look. You're furious this little boy at home? Yeah,

boy, you look more and more like your dad every day. Sit,

tell me something. I'll come your daddy. Don't come over here and

play cards with us and Imbut I don't know. I know you don't think

he better than the rest of us. Must be too busy shooting at people.

I heard what happened over that other night. Hm, he still got

that same girlfriend. You and Mama? Why you always play football, Cause

that's what I'm gonna do. That's right. You na heard furi he shut

at somebody last night. You get him? No now, Tray and furious?

Alright, Tray, I gotta lay down the rules of the house.

It's the same thing as weekends. You remember. Alright, then what are

they clean? The bar through saint floor? And two I gotta clean that

up? Yeah, clean my room water? Thank you? I ask you

something. What do you have to do around here? I don't have to

do nothing around here except for pay the bills, put food on the table,

and put clothes on your back. You understand now, I have to

pay no bills. You know, Trey. You may think I'm being hard

on you right now, but I'm not. What I'm doing is I'm trying

to teach you how to be responsible. It's like your little friends across the

street. They don't have anybody to show them how to do that. They

don't. You're gonna see how they end up too. I'm glad you hear.

Trey. You're a prince. You know that. Yeah, you're the

prince. I'm the king. Right now, the king says it's time for

the prince to go to bed, So get yourself together. See more.

Okay. The performances of Cube, Gooding and Long are heralded, as they

should be. However, the performance of Fishburn is one of the best of

his storied career. In the role of furious styles. He shows what a

father, not just for inner city youth, but all youth should be.

He is firm, loving, protective, and brutally honest. In our final

clip, he talks to Ricky and Trey shortly after they complete their SATs about

a problem still plaguing in our cities, gentrification. Of note, hear how

his powerful speaking gets others in the area involved, and this causes something that

this world desperately needed then as much as it needs now discussion and understanding to

resolve a difference of opinions. Want y'all take a look at that sign up

there. See what it says, cash for your home. You know what

that is? It's a billboard board. What are y'all? Amos and Andy?

Are you stepping and he's fetching? I'm talking about the message. What

it stands for. It's called gentrifications. That's what happens when the property value

of a certain area is brought down. Huh, thank you listening. Yeah,

they bring the property value down, they can buy the land at a

lower price. Then they move all the people out, raise the property value

and selling at the property. Now, what we need to do is we

need to keep everything in our neighborhood. Everything black, black owned with black

money, just like the Jews, the Italians, the Mexicans, and the

Koreans do. Ain't nobody from outside bringing down the property value. It's these

folks shooting each other and selling that. I think the crack rock gets into

the country. We don't own any planes, we don't own no ships.

But we are not the people who are flying and floating in here. I

know. Every time you turn on the TV, that's what you see Black

people. Yeah, selling the rock, right, pushing the rock, pushing

the rock. Yeah, I know. But that wasn't a problem as long

as it was here. Wasn't a problem until it was in Iowa and it

showed up on Wall Street where there are hardly any black people. If you

wanna talk about, uh guns, Why is it that there's a gun shop

on almost every corner in this community? Why, dud tell you why?

For the same reason that there's a liquor store on almost every corner in the

black community. Why they want us to kill ourselves. You go out to

Beverly Hills, you don't see that, but they want us to kill ourselves.

Yeah. The best way you can destroy your people, you take away

their ability to reproduce themselves. Yeah, who is it that's dying out here

on these streets every night? Y'all? Yeah, young brothers like you said,

Else, what am I supposed to do? Full? Roll up?

Try to smoke me, shoot them? You don't kill me first. You're

doing exactly what they want you to do. You have to think, young

brother, about your future. Huh. This is the third year we have

covered films honoring African Americans for Black History Month. This film is a part

of the quote unquote Big three of African American inner city films. We have

already covered Juice in Menace to Society the other two many include in this group.

I have said many times that this film has an after school special feel

to it. I realize that could diminish its power and classification as a great

film, which this film truly is. It is the first look at life

in a real inner city done by someone who lived it. It is tragic,

and it also provides a ray of hope. Nearly thirty three years after

its release, its influences still fell. It helped launch the careers of Fishburn

Long, Chestnut Bassett, not to mention the acting career of Ice Cube.

His experiences making this film led to him writing the comedy Friday, which has

also been covered here on Classic Film Reviews, to show the good times in

the inner cities. The issues this film presents are still prevalent today, not

just for inner city youth, but all youth. Racism, police abuse,

gentrification, economic disparity, single parenting, and crime are all temptations in pitfalls

the youth of America faces today. That is why this film still into ears

thirty plus years after its release. I hope you will join me next week

when you look at Spike Lee's irreverent look if blackface and cinema. Next week's

film is Bamboozle for W. M. N H and Matt Connorton Unleashed.

This has been a classic film review with Eric Pilcher. How does Sabama South

Central for a place? Go button the captain funder pencil Note you can't find

the rules in a hand book. Take a coach, look at a crack

hook ring number one, number gun, a nine in your butt of beef,

cum keep it in your cluff apartment attack us. There's nothing to get

a start. Nephew White, You could trust the pone leash, but if

your black. They ain't nothing but people watch out butt and killed. Don't

make the boss and give your hands on the stand. W don't just mort

that's all questions. And that's the first present on standing live and south Shi

will be. That's how it's a fun. This is harm mandous. This

is Los Angeles who number two, don't trust no body, especially a girl

with a hook. This botch coup. It ain't nothing but a crack and

big males and get your jack to kick man you wind up dead. And

just to be saying, don't wear no golfwear because most people get caught and

neither la who come the north? What talk black human fields? So I

think a better skip the sight saying and if you're not put a mark,

make sure that's in into a dork. But if you need some affection,

man, make sure the girl ain't a section next just if so that's a

money rich house and you want somebody in South Sex. Number three, don't

get caught up because brothers aren't doing anything that's caught up. And they got

a fight on everything from dunting, this stole the merchant, we the shurn

just op six Well wait it's one thing turns Wait boy, brother like dude

and catching the seas it starts singing pe doing down the cut water booms brock

and there sther out of town's summer. So don't take your life for grat

because mister craziest place on the flat and now lay here. Rolls don't fight

through the sky storms and they live behind the ball. So everybody's doing a

little dirt and this the youngster's putting in the most what to be at lunch.

They come as you even did enough. You stay. The strong survive.

Damn, the strong even die in South six and you know that.

And you know that South six win not ulf. And I gotta say what's

up to the fifth the only fip certain tickets in the house. I gotta

say what's up to my man team bot he talks in that house. Lets

you k yo, I see it right down with a mouth yup. This

is Los Angeles.