BOYZ N THE HOOD (UMD/PSP/WS 1.85/2.0/ENG-SUB/FR-BOTH) DVD

Boyz 'N the Hood
Director John Singleton's debut chronicles the trials and tribulations of three young African-American males growing up in South Central Los Angeles. When young Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a bright underachiever, begins to show signs of trouble, his struggling professional mother (Angela Basset) sends him to live with his father (Lawrence Fishburne), a hard-nosed, no-nonsense disciplinarian. There he befriends Ricky (Morris Chestnut), a burgeoning football star, and Doughboy (Ice Cube, in a standout performance), a would-be gang banger. Over the years, each chooses his own path: Tre seems bound for college; Ricky is a blue-chip running back with his pick of schools; Doughboy is a dope dealer and bona fide gangster who drifts in and out of the county juvenile facility. All is well until, without warning, a rival gang chases down Tre and Ricky with tragic results. Doughboy immediately prepares for revenge, forcing Tre to decide whether to jeopardize his future and, perhaps, his life for the price of revenge and self-respect. Sometimes riveting, Boyz'N the Hood is not without its problems. The film tries to cram every single issue facing the black community into an hour and a half of screen time, making the film seem at times forced. The symbolism seems forced as well, and the film is often unbearably heavy-handed. Also, the characterization often relies on cardboard cut-outs; every white character in the film is a one-dimensional bigot, and the black police officer with whom Tre and his father deal is even worse than his Caucasian counterparts. Still, the unevenness of the film is redeemed by some moments of true brilliance. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide

Cast Cuba Gooding Jr. as Tre Styles Morris Chestnut as Ricky Baker Ice Cube as Doughboy Angela Bassett as Reva Styles Laurence Fishburne as Furious Styles Nia Long as Brandi Tyra Ferrell as Mrs. Baker Meta King as Brandi's Mom Whitman Mayo as Old Man Desi Arnez Hines II as Tre-Age 10 Baha Jackson as Doughboy-Age 10 Donovan McCrary as Ricky-Age 10

Crew Bruce Bellamy - Art Director John Singleton - Director Bruce Cannon - Editor Stanley Clarke - Composer (Music Score) Charles Mills - Cinematographer Steve Nicolaides - Producer Kathryn Peters - Set Designer Bob Minor - Stunts John Singleton - Screenwriter

Boyz 'N the Hood
Coming two years after Spike Lee's groundbreaking Do the Right Thing, the first movie by African-American director John Singleton was seen as part of the black film movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was the first mainstream movie to deal with gang violence in America's urban ghettos, and its thoughtful approach helped open the door for a number of similarly themed movies in the next few years, including Menace II Society, Fresh, and Juice. Boyz N the Hood stands out because of its honesty and because it successfully humanizes all of the parties involved, including the drug dealers and murderers. The story revolves around three youths who choose to deal with their environment in different ways, and the movie features a two-part structure, which shows their lives when they are children and then when they are on the verge of high school graduation. The central roles are filled well by three newcomers (Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, and Ice Cube), and their dynamic gives the movie its most memorable moments. ~ Brendon Hanley, All Movie Guide
 

John Singleton: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Director (nominated) John Singleton: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Screenplay (nominated) John Singleton: New York Film Critics Circle, Best New Director (winner)

National Board of Review, Best Picture (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, French Sound Processing: Additional Features: Full-length movie Widescreen presentation DVD picture quality DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 112 min