Crooklyn (1994)

Director:

Spike Lee

Writers:

Cinqué Lee (writer)
Joie Lee (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 May 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

From Spike Lee comes this vibrant semi-autobiographical portrait of a school-teacher, her stubborn jazz-musician husband and their five kids living in '70s Brooklyn. |

Plot Keywords:

Semi Autobiographical | Poverty | Brooklyn New York City | New York Knicks | Musician

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Alfre Woodard	...	Carolyn Carmichael
Delroy Lindo	...	Woody Carmichael
David Patrick Kelly	...	Tony Eyes / Jim
Zelda Harris	...	Troy
Carlton Williams	...	Clinton
Sharif Rashed	...	Wendell
Tse-Mach Washington	...	Joseph
Christopher Knowings	...	Nate
José Zúñiga	...	Tommy La La
Isaiah Washington	...	Vic
Ivelka Reyes	...	Jessica
Spike Lee	...	Snuffy
N. Jeremi Duru	...	Right Hand Man
Frances Foster	...	Aunt Song
Norman Matlock	...	Clem

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for drug content.

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-3 | Australia:M | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

Trivia:

The "disorienting" view when the family is in the country was created by shooting in widescreen without anamorphically adjusting the image.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the store, Troy buys a bag of chips, lemon heads, bazooka gum, licorice, fireballs and Boston baked beans. When she gets home all of the boys pull out all of the candy from the bag and Troy is seen eating a candy necklace, obviously something she did not buy.

Quotes:

Nate: May I PLEASE be excused?
Carolyn Carmichael: No you will not. You're gonna sit there until you eat every black eyed pea on that plate!
[to the kids]
Carolyn Carmichael: And when I come home tonight, I want this kitchen clean.
Clinton: [the kids groan] See what you started, Nate? Shoot!
Nate: I HATE Black-eyed peas!
Carolyn Carmichael: Yeah, that's right! There's no reason why your father and I should have to run around here cleaning up after you shifty Negroes!
Clinton: Daddy don't make us clean up, don't you, Daddy?
Woody Carmichael: [Pouring lemonade in glass] I ain't in this. Leave me out of this.
Carolyn Carmichael: Your daddy may not mind but your momma do. I'm going with your father to a gig tonight and when I come home, this house BET-TER be clean. I'll be goddamed if I should have to do anything when I come home from work but sleep and relax!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kicking and Screaming (1995)

On the verge of classic

This was the first movie done by Spike Lee that I have ever seen, and I saw this movie by accident. Out of all of his films, why is this one of the least known? It is worth seeing, because so many things work. It's definitely one of the most thematic movies I have ever seen, and I can definitely relate to many of Spike Lee's memories. It is sad, but it is also hopeful. Alfre Woodard was awesome, and I definitely think that she is one of the best unrecognized actresses in the US today. Delroy Lindo played his character well too. The relationship between Troy and her brothers was especially memorable and so universal! The best scenes in the movie showcase the children in front of the television. This movie was on the verge of greatness but it didn't capture it just because some parts of the movie were melodramatic and drawn out. The movie itself was about 15 minutes too long.