Closed Captioned; Standard Screen; Soundtrack English; Soundtrack French; Soundtrack Spanish; English Subtitles
Since the age of 10, Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.) has been living with his father in South Central Los Angeles--where the challenge lies in simply staying alive long enough to become a man. To make matters worse, Tre's friend Doughboy (Ice Cube) is on the wrong path. John Singleton's directorial debut is part bildungsroman, part gangster film, part call-to-arms for an African American community besieged by violence, drug use, teen pregnancy, and AIDS.
John Singleton emerged from USC film school with his passionate script already written, and at age 23 he made the film that spawned a score of ghetto dramas. From the opening shot--a sign reading "Stop"--to the final message of "Increase the Peace," Singleton's desire to galvanize his audience is clear. The violence destroying South Central Los Angeles is seen through the eyes of Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.), whose intelligence and common sense would be wasted in the 'hood if not for his father, Furious (Laurence Fishburne), who imparts discipline and responsibility to his son. Tre's friends aren't so lucky, though, especially Doughboy (Ice Cube), who has been in and out of institutions since childhood and now sits on his porch with a forty in his hand and a pistol in his waistband. Singleton is ambitious enough to tackle a host of problems, from African American business practices to the bias of the SAT test, but the real power of the film lies in the performances of its principals. Cuba Gooding, in his first role, doesn't let Tre come off like a goody two-shoes, while Ice Cube gives a tragic nobility to a young man who knows he's doomed.
The film was shot on location in Los Angeles, California.
At the time of its release, BOYZ N THE HOOD was the highest-grossing black-themed film ever, earning ten times its six million dollar budget.
The opening of BOYZ N THE HOOD was marred by violence; 33 were wounded and one person was killed when trouble erupted at 20 theaters in the first week.
The title of the film is from a song on rapper Eazy-E's first solo album.
For BOYZ N THE HOOD, 24-year-old John Singleton became the youngest person ever to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
The film soundtrack includes songs by Yo-Yo, Ice Cube, 2 Live Crew, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Monie Love, and Quincy Jones.
Boyz N The Hood Reviews:
"...BOYZ N THE HOOD juggles a half-dozen characters with remarkable ease, never losing sight of their destination....Singleton has made the punchiest feature debut in recent memory..."
-- Mike Clark, USA Today
"...The movie has value. It corners moviegoers, almost at cinematic knife point, and tells them what they need and don't want to know..."-- Mary Corliss, Film Comment
"...Strong and striking....Singleton and his actors slowly involve us in an almost sensual melange of moods, images and situations that take us inside the ghetto in a way mainstream films almost never do....A debut to remember..."
-- Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
"[I]t's ultimately a tender tragedy about the powerful influence, good and bad, of family and friends."
-- Premiere Staff, Premiere
"It's characterised by Singleton's unflinching storytelling, plus a career-best performance from Cuba Gooding Jr...."
-- Wendy Ide, Uncut
"Singleton set out to make his MEAN STREETS, capturing both the daily threat of violence and the enduring sense of community in the neighborhood where he grew up, and BOYZ N THE HOOD gets that across fairly often."-- Noel Murray, A.V. Club
"At the time, it was a revelation....[With] strong performances from Fishburne and acting newbie Ice Cube..." -- Grade: B-- Rob Brunner, Entertainment Weekly
"...Impressive....Powerfully affecting..."
-- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"...[A] terrifically confident first feature....[Fishburne endows] enormous dignity and grace..."
-- Janet Maslin, New York Times
An Amazing movie Boys n the Hood is an AMAZING movie that really gets to you. I watched in my African American Literature class this year. The film emphasizes how important one’s family values, personal values, and who they choose to associate with and follow are. The theme is a powerful one: "increase the peace" Submitted by hotpinkchic86 (Mansfield, MA, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
review from a white girl! i lived in orange county (CA) when this movie was released. i remember seeing it back then when there was so much going on over there. at the time it was hard to believe that everything could be so wonderful where i lived, but only miles away these things were reality. im 42 now and the world isnt always how we want it to be... remarkable performances from nia long and ice cube. Submitted by Lauren (Somerset Wisconsin) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
I Love This Movie I remember going to see Boyz n the Hood at the movie theatre.It was one of the best movies to ever be made in 1991.I still watch this movie after 14 years with my kids. John Singleton is by far the best and thank you for giving us Boyz n the Hood. Submitted by Black Diva (South Central, Los Angeles,CA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
One of my All-time favorites I saw this movie on TV. Bought it the next day. This is one of the best films of all time, and it was made in the early 90's. It's 2005 now. This movie is about friendship, family, respect, and loyalty. This is a good guy movie to watch. I rarely cry in a movie, but this is the first movie to ever make me cry. So gangsta, b prepared to shed a tear. The perfect song to remind you of this movie is Changes by 2Pac. peace Submitted by Anonymous Reviewer (T-dot, Canada) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
OFF THE CHAIN!! Aiya this is for real. I'm a blood and I go through these things all the time. Good movie... Submitted by Biggie Gipp (Chi-town) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
2-Disc Set Region 1 Keep Case Disc 1: Full Frame - 1.33 Widescreen - 1.85 Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 - English Additional Release Material: Audio Commentary: John Singleton - Director Disc 2: Full Frame - 1.33 Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 - English Additional Release Material: Trailers Deleted Scenes Featurette: FRIENDLY FIRE: THE MAKING OF AN URBAN LEGEND Music Video:
1. Compton's Most Wanted: "Growing Up In the Hood" 2. Tevin Campbell: "Just Ask Me To" Text/Photo Galleries: Production Notes Bios
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