Classic 90s Movie: “Boyz n the Hood”
May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Erika Horton.
Movie Title: Boyz n the Hood
Year: 1991
Writer: John Singleton
Director: John Singleton
Lead Actors: Lawrence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut
IMDB Plot Summary: John Singleton’s portrayal of social problems in inner-city Los Angeles takes the form of a tale of three friends growing up together in the ‘hood. Half-brothers Doughboy and Ricky Baker are foils for each other’s personality, presenting very different approaches to the tough lives they face. Ricky is the ‘All-American’ athlete, looking to win a football scholarship to USC and seeks salvation through sports, while Doughboy succumbs to the violence and crime surrounding him in his environment, but maintains a strong sense of pride and code of honor. Between these two is their friend Tré, who is lucky to have a father, Furious Styles, to teach him to have the strength of character to do what is right and to always take responsibility for his actions. (Written by Tad Dibbern)
Why I Think This Is A Classic 90s Movies: This film was released just a few months after the publication of the infamous videotape of Rodney King being beaten by Los Angeles police officers and a year before a jury reached a verdict that ignited a fiery riot in the very neighborhood where this story takes place. Boyz n the Hood is in many ways an account of what was happening in the American ghetto in the late 20th century and how that effected American society as a whole.
What makes this film so great is that it feels so real. It’s an original fictional narrative that feels like it could be based on a true story. All of the characters on the screen, from the three boys to the parents to the rival gang members to the cops, are fully developed, and the dialogue rings true. The characters sound like real people. Also, the movie manages to have a message without feeling preachy. It’s a coming of age story, a cautionary tale, and a look at the sad reality that exists in many ‘hoods across the United States.
My Favorite Moment In The Movie: My favorite moment in the film is the sequence after Ricky’s death when Tré loses it, goes home to get a gun, and is confronted by his father. It’s perfect in how it shows the emotional rollercoaster that Tré goes through and the difficult choice he must make. Will he avenge his friend’s death? Will he listen to his father? At what point do the rules of the street trump personal convictions?
My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: It’s appropriate that Doughboy, the one that everyone has written off, has one of the most iconic lines from the film. He basically states the main theme. The day after the death of his brother, he speaks to Tré about watching the news.
“Turned on the TV this morning. Had this shit about living in a violent world. Showed all these foreign places, where foreigners live and all… I started thinking, man. Either they don’t know, don’t show, or don’t care about what’s going on in the ‘hood. They had all this foreign shit. They didn’t have shit on my brother, man.”
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie
Along with the main theme of the dangers of growing up in a poor, violent neighborhood, John Singleton explores several other themes in the film. There is a theme of the importance of responsibility, self-sufficiency, and restraint. There are themes related to the overarching society beyond the ‘hood too. Notice Furious Styles’ speech to the young men about how the real estate market and gentrification play a part in the problems of downtrodden urban areas. There are also various relationships depicted in the film — the relationship between father and son (or lack thereof), the relationships between women and men (mothers/sons and girlfriends/boyfriends), and the relationship between the neighborhood and the police (helicopters and patrolling officers).
Thanks, Erika! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
We already have a set of 80s Movies. This month we cover 90s movies. So thanks to all of you for your participation in this project, creating a resource for writers, movies they should watch to help learn the craft of screenwriting!
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