Boyz n the Hood

I wonder if this is one of those movies that, had I seen it at the time, some of the elements that feel awkward to me would've come off better. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad movie. There's a reason it chosen for enshrinement in the Library Of Congress, so let me get out the things holding it back for me. First is the editing. There are moments -- the weird montage about halfway through springs to mind, where Tre is talking to Brandi, then it cuts to Rick at school, and then to Doughboy -- where the editing actively confuses and hinders understanding of the movie. It also contributes to the movie's overall feel, which is less of a gritty, honest, unflinching look at life in the neighborhoods of SCLA and more of an ABC Afterschool Special version of it. The drama occasionally creeps into melodrama, and it breaks the mood entirely, and that's also an issue with directing. John Singleton was a rookie here, and it shows; there's a lot of bravado and courage in his directing, but he doesn't have a seasoned director's deft touch. I can't be too down on the directing, because it IS his first movie, but there's some moments where I had to wonder if what was on the screen was left in by accident or really was the best take. And I REALLY wanna know why he chose such a corny, sappy, TGIF-very-special-episode score. At any moment, I expected Danny Tanner to hug DJ and tell her he was proud of her for saying no to taking caffeine pills to stay up all night to study for a test. This movie is directed by a black man, about the young black experience in the hood, and the score underneath is whiter than Jerry Seinfeld shopping at The Gap. Okay, complaining done. What does this movie do right? Its honesty. There were a few movies similar to this produced in the early 90's, such as Menace II Society, and a lot of them tended to portray violence and criminality and gang affiliation as a natural, if inevitable, way of life for young men. Every kid comes from a broken home, mom's strung out, and dad's either a bad influence if he's alive or he's dead. It would be easy, and also obvious, to fall back on these hoary cliches, but Boyz doesn't do that. The parents of lead lead character Tre might not be together, but they're hard-working people. Mom's working on her getting her master's. Dad owns a small finance company. Both are supportive of Tre and want the best for him. He had positive adult role models. This is to help set up the contrast of his friends across the street, Rick and Doughboy, brothers growing in a less positive household, with no dad in the picture and a mother who clearly favors one child over the other. Rick is a good athlete but not very smart, and also has a baby, while Doughboy has recently got out of juvie for theft and thinks himself tough and streetwise. A large part of Boyz' story is seeing how Tre is growing up in a home that is supportive and nurturing, but his friends aren't a positive influence, and which will win out. Now, this is where one other flaw I didn't mention comes in, and that's casting Cuba Gooding Jr. as Tre. The whole movie's arc is Tre's battle with wanting to fit in with guys in the neighborhood even as his father's teachings and guidance are ringing in his head. Which version of A Strong Young Black Man while he be? Gooding's performance feels like he's doing an impression of Carlton from The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air doing an impression of NWA. It's hard to take him seriously when he's trying to badger Brandi into having sex or puffing up his chest in a tense moment; Gooding is just too nice to buy it ... on his own. But the movie around him does a good job in making the situation around him feel serious enough that the flaw is balanced out. Maybe it was intentional that he be a little bit of a squeaky clean goober, so it felt like his machismo and tough guy attitude was as phony as a $3 bill, I don't know. But it does make Tre's arc satisfying, as by contrast, it helps Rick's and Doughboy's arcs too. Rick ISN'T trying hard to fit in. He has specific goals and dreams, and all his bluster comes from being young and male, and not a desire to fit in. Doughboy, by contrast, has totally given in to the stereotype, and has no goal but to chill, avoid jail again, and be seen as the baddest man on the block ... despite never having done anything more than petty theft as a child. It all builds to a final 15 minutes that is both heartbreaking and surprising. It may be a bit better than the movie before it deserves, but for breaking away from some well-worn tropes, it is commendable nonetheless. And that sums up the movie as a whole for me; flawed but commendable. I wish I'd seen this back in the day instead of now. As it stands, while I did like it, my appreciation outweighs it. I'd still recommend it, but if you haven't seen it, I do so cautiously.