The Wood (1999)

Director:

Rick Famuyiwa

Writers:

Rick Famuyiwa (story) and
Todd Boyd (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 July 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

From boyhood to manhood, you can always count on your best friends.

Plot:

While dealing with a friend's cold feet on his wedding day, a writer reminisces about his youth with his best friends.

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Friendship | Flashback | Bet | Male Nudity

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Elayn J. Taylor	...	Roland's Mother (as Elayn Taylor)
Omar Epps	...	Mike
Richard T. Jones	...	Slim
Sean Nelson	...	Young Mike
Duane Finley	...	Young Slim
Trent Cameron	...	Young Roland
Malinda Williams	...	Young Alicia
Patricia Belcher	...	Mrs. Hughes
Taye Diggs	...	Roland
Tamala Jones	...	Tanya
De'aundre Bonds	...	Stacey (as De'Aundre Bonds)
Cynthia Martells	...	Mike's Mother
Wyking Jones	...	Cashiers in Mini Mart
Geoffrey Blackshire	...	Cashiers in Mini Mart
Jascha Washington	...	Mike's Brother
Aiysha Sinclair	...	Tracey
Melvin Lyons	...	Gang member
Sam Hiona	...	Cashier in mini-mart 1986 (as Samuel Hiona)
Antwon Tanner	...	Boo
John Wesley	...	Police Officers
Oscar Dillon	...	Police Officers
Tia Gainer	...	Girl at Dance
Howard Thompson	...	D.J. at Dance
Douglas Shamburger	...	D.J. on Radio
Brandi Wilson	...	Girls at Dance
Christina Milian	...	Girls at Dance
Dawnn Lewis	...	Woman in Cleaners
Crystal Celeste Grant	...	Girl with Slim (as Crystal Grant)
La'Myia Good	...	Monica
Alecia Smith	...	Girl with Roland
Kongit Farrell	...	Girl with Slim
Stacy Arnell	...	Woman with Stacey (as Stacey Arnell)
Telma Hopkins	...	Slim's Mother
LisaRaye	...	Lisa (as Lisaraye)
Basil Wallace	...	Lisa's Father
Sanaa Lathan	...	Alicia
Todd Boyd	...	Reverend Parker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Julie Garibaldi	...	Tanisha (uncredited)
Nayo Wallace	...	Girl In School Hallway (uncredited)

Directed by
Rick Famuyiwa

Writing credits
Rick Famuyiwa		(story) and
Todd Boyd		(story)
Rick Famuyiwa		(screenplay)

Produced by
Albert Berger	....	producer
Todd Boyd	....	associate producer
Douglas Curtis	....	co-producer
David Gale	....	producer
Momita Sengupta	....	associate producer
Van Toffler	....	executive producer
Ron Yerxa	....	producer

Original Music by
Robert Hurst

Cinematography by
Steven Bernstein		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Carter

Casting by
Mali Finn
Emily Schweber

Production Design by
Roger G. Fortune		(as Roger Fortune)
Maxine Shepard

Art Direction by
Richard Haase

Set Decoration by
Fontaine Beauchamp Hebb		(as F. Beauchamp Hebb)
David Smith

Costume Design by
Darryle Johnson

Makeup Department
Kali Balugo	....	makeup artist
Leonard Drake	....	supervising hair stylist
Warren Lewis	....	hair stylist
Robert C. Mathews III	....	hair stylist (as Robert Matthews)
Edna Sheen	....	makeup artist (as Edna M. Sheen)
JoAnn Stafford-Chaney	....	supervising hair stylist (as Joann Stafford-Chaney)
Joanetta Stowers	....	key makeup artist
Laini Thompson	....	supervising makeup artist
Felicia Herron	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Douglas Curtis	....	unit production manager
Bob Johnston	....	production supervisor
Lisa Rodgers	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Seth Edelstein	....	second assistant director
Rosemarie Unite	....	second second assistant director
Don Wilkerson	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Kasia Adamik	....	storyboard artist
Craig Baron	....	set dresser (as Craig R. Baron)
Maike Both	....	set dresser
Elizabeth Colomba	....	storyboard artist
Mark Cowley	....	lead person
Amina Allean Dieye	....	art department coordinator
Ronald Elmer	....	drapery foreperson (as Ron Elmer)
Greg J. Gregath	....	propmaker
Petra A. Gugler	....	painter
Ross Harpold	....	set dresser
Jimmie Herron Jr.	....	property master
Dervon 'Von' Herron	....	assistant property master (as Von Herron)
Germaine Hill	....	art department coordinator
Eric Ingraham	....	propmaker (as Eric Ingraham 'The Kid')
Mark A. Mancinelli	....	plaster foreperson
Masako Masuda	....	set designer
Michael Messina	....	propmaker foreperson (as Michael F. Messina)
Gabriel Olguin	....	propmaker (as Gabriel Holguin)
Josh Persoff	....	on-set dresser
Philip Prewitt	....	propmaker (as Phillip T. Prewett)
Donald C. Riley	....	set dresser
Ruben Rojo	....	labor foreperson
Brett Shannon	....	paint foreperson
Ben Shoemaker	....	painter
Mike Swift	....	storyboard artist
Mark Vitale	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Willy Allen	....	adr editor
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist
Walter Anderson	....	sound mixer (as Walter P. Anderson)
Dwayne Avery	....	dialogue editor
Bobbi Banks	....	supervising adr editor
Thor Benitez	....	adr recordist
Matthew C. Beville	....	adr mixer
Greg Hedgepath	....	supervising sound editor (as Gregory Hedgepath)
Stanley Kastner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Shawn Kennelly	....	adr recordist
Derek Marcil	....	sound re-recording mixer
Charles Maynes	....	sound effects editor
Anthony M. McCovey	....	sound utility (as Tony McCovey)
Michael A. Patillo	....	boom operator (as Michael Patillo)
Andre Perreault	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andy Potvin	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Karin Roulo	....	foley mixer
Douglas Shamburger	....	sound utility
David E. Stone	....	foley editor
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Linda Yeaney	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Jeffrey Knott	....	special effects assistant (as Jeffrey D. Knott)
Jeffrey Machit	....	special effects assistant (as Jeffrey C. Machit)
R. Bruce Steinheimer	....	special effects coordinator (as Bruce Steinheimer)

Visual Effects by
Scott Billups	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Eddie L. Watkins	....	stunt coordinator (as Eddie Watkins)

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric S. Adamson	....	electrician
Dale Balani	....	electrician
Joseph E. Bates	....	grip
Noah Behar	....	grip
Kevin Celi	....	film loader
Michael Ferris	....	camera operator
Kirk R. Gardner	....	Steadicam operator
Nicola Goode	....	still photographer
Dennis Harper	....	dolly grip
Twan Herron	....	electrician
Paul Horn	....	second assistant camera
Richard James Hughes	....	second assistant camera (as Richie Hughes)
Kurt Jones	....	second assistant camera
Richard Lacy	....	first assistant camera
Greg Lopez	....	assistant chief lighting technician
David Maddux	....	chief lighting technician (as Dave Maddux)
Dave Mendez	....	grip
Robert W. Morgenroth	....	video playback operator (as Robert Morgenroth)
Arthur Najera	....	grip (as Arthur M. Najera)
Tony Patterson	....	video playback operator (as Luis A. Patterson)
Boris Price	....	second assistant camera
Randy Tambling	....	first company grip (as Randal Tambling)
Paige Thomas	....	first assistant camera
Thomas D. Wazney	....	second company grip
Justin Webber	....	second assistant camera
Jeff Wilde	....	electrician

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Maureen Whalen	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bernie White	....	chief costumer
Sharlene Williams	....	costume supervisor (as Shirlene Williams)

Editorial Department
Babette Dickerson	....	first assistant editor
Martha Anne Francis	....	assistant editor (as Martha Francis)
Jim Passon	....	color timer
DeNon Porter	....	assistant editor
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
Dirk Westervelt	....	additional editor
Donald Freeman	....	final colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Jay Bolton	....	music editor
Camara Kambon	....	composer: additional music
Pilar McCurry	....	music supervisor
Jonathan McHugh	....	soundtrack executive: Jive Records
Michael T. Ryan	....	music editor
Melodee Sutton	....	co-music supervisor
Robert J. Walsh	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Dennis Hollis	....	transportation captain (as Dennis H. Hollis)
James 'Obee' Oberman	....	transportation coordinator
Alex Connaughton	....	driver: honeywagon (uncredited)
David G. Todd	....	production van operator (uncredited)

Other crew
Rashied Aljuwani	....	craft service
Jeremy Alter	....	location manager
Kimberly Bailey	....	adr loop group
Jason Buff	....	production assistant
Cassandra Butcher	....	unit publicist (as Cassandra Ora Butcher)
Lanei Chapman	....	adr loop group
Sal Circelli	....	production assistant
Stanley Bennett Clay	....	adr loop group
Jeff Coopwood	....	adr loop group
Troy Craig Poon	....	production liaison
Nikki Crawford	....	adr loop group
Nicole Cummins	....	script supervisor
Kathy Cyrus	....	studio teacher
Trey Davis	....	adr loop group
Michelle Davison	....	adr loop group
Tad Driscoll	....	accountant
Reece Ewing	....	assistant production coordinator (as Larry Ewing)
Rhoda Fine	....	studio teacher (as Rhonda C. Fine)
O. Thaddeus Frazier	....	production assistant
Joanne Guthrie	....	production assistant
Barbara Harris	....	adr loop group (as Barbara Iley)
George Patrick Hernandez	....	assistant: Mr. Cohen
John Keel	....	assistant production coordinator (as John Brooks Keel)
Stuart Kelly	....	production assistant
Mark Christopher Lawrence	....	adr loop group
Ryan Lichterman	....	production assistant
Tina Lifford	....	adr loop group
Patrick Malone	....	adr loop group
Carl Mastromarino	....	assistant production accountant
Terence Mathews	....	adr loop group
Richard McGregor	....	adr loop group (as Richard Macgregor)
Sandra McNeil	....	studio teacher
Darin Mercado	....	location assistant
Victor Ortado	....	assistant production accountant
Anton Pardoe	....	assistant location manager (as Anton Yossarian Pardoe)
Juan Pope	....	adr loop group (as J. Lamont Pope)
Christy Powers	....	set medic (as Christy 'Crash' Powers)
Irwin M. Rappaport	....	production attorney (as Irwin M. Rappaport Esq.)
Eduardo Ricketts Jr.	....	location assistant (as Eduardo 'Charlie' Ricketts)
Fitzgerald Scott	....	production assistant
Jennifer Scott	....	production coordinator
Jossie Thacker	....	choreographer (as Jossie Harris Thacker)
Amelia Wong	....	assistant: Mr. Famuyiwa (as Amelia S. Wong)
Jay Floyd	....	clearance administrator (uncredited)
Stephen A. Marinaccio II	....	assistant production coordinator (uncredited)
Dan Riley	....	legal assistant (uncredited)
Carla Swanson	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bona Fide Productions
• MTV Films

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Paramount Network (UPN) (2002) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Argentina)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (France)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Sundance Institute, The  miscellaneous assistance (developed with the assistance of)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and some strong sexuality

Runtime:

106 min | Germany:102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Iceland:12 | Norway:15 (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | France:U | Germany:12 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Inglewood, California, USA

Company:

Bona Fide Productions

Trivia:

In a recent visit to USC, his alma mater, Rick Famuyiwa revealed that Paramount executives wanted the character of Mike to pinch Alicia's buttocks in the end scene for added laughs. Needless to say, Famuyiwa balked at this and never shot this. The opening Steadicam shot took almost an entire day to shoot.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When older Slim and Mike shake hands at the mini market, Slim clearly misses Mike's hand the first time and almost misses it the second time.

Quotes:

Mike:You would've sworn they were professors at Harvard. They had breath mints down to a science.

Movie Connections:

References "The Brady Bunch" (1969)

Not only a warming comedy but a great, realistic and positive 'childhood to manhood' story

The Wood starring Omar Epps, Taye Diggs, Sean Nelson, Melinda Williams, De' Aundre Bonds and Antwon Tanner was a perfect positive black film that deserves alot of credit. Unlike The Best Man, it doesn't have a boring pre-wedding story - actually it's a lot of fun as the three friends talk about their fun childhood in 'The Wood' a.k.a Inglewood, California. The flashback scenes are done so nicely and the characters are written in detailed fashion and come across very realistically.

When I first seen the trailer I was like it would probably be an O.K. movie but it was alot better than I could possibly expect and turns out to be a big winner, this is a sleeper for 1999

10/10