Crown Heights (2004) (TV)

Director:

Jeremy Kagan

Writers (WGA):

Michael D'Antonio (story)
Toni Ann Johnson (teleplay)

Release Date:

2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

After the Crown Heights riots, an orthodox Rabbi and a community activist help two youths--one a Hasidic Jew, the other African-American--form a hip-hop group to heal their neighboorhood. |

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Liza Balkan
Jeremy Blackman
Jason Blicker
Hart Boykin	...	Black Man - Interviewed
David Brown	...	Officer
Darlene Cooke
Rufus Crawford
Bob Cryer	...	Scholem
Dominic Daniel	...	Muslim Spokesman
Kevin Duhaney
Jake Epstein
Sara Farb
Michele Ferney
Gil Filar
Jonathan Goldapple	...	Schmuli
Dequan Henderson	...	Boy
Daniel Kash
Judah Katz	...	Josh Kramer
Mpho Koaho
Michael Kopstick	...	Featured Extra
Barry Lavender
Colm Magner
Howie Mandel	...	Rabbi
Yanna McIntosh
Mikela J. Mikael
Panou		(as Panou Mowling)
Joseph Pierre
Michael Rubenfeld
Mario Van Peebles	...	Paul Johnson
Junior Williams
Michael Yarmush

MPAA:

Rated R for brief language.

Runtime:

Brazil:93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R

Company:

Dufferin Gate Productions

Hard-hitting material; Dull execution

Considering the subject matter, this could've been a powerful, moving drama. The film is adequate, and I didn't hate it in the least, but all in all it's no more than an above-average after-school special. The story is based on real events, but I'm sure the writer and director took many liberties in constructing this predictable plot. The friendship between the two main characters (a Jewish teen and a black teen) seems forced. I'm sure the two guys didn't become friends as easily as they did in the film. Trust me, I lived in an inner city most of my life. I don't imagine two people of such different backgrounds embracing each other so abruptly. There are several implausible scenes in the film, including one where the two guys go to a club. Once again, this one of those clubs that only exist in the movies--the volume of the music is low enough for the characters to understand each other clearly, there are only about 10 people in the club (hinting at the film's lack of budget to afford a decent number of extras), a guy utters the lines "Wanna dance?" and the girl immediately prances onto the dance floor with him, and the girl gives a guy her phone number within seconds. On the bright side, the actors are good all-around, including Howie Mandel (my main reason for picking up the DVD), who gives a subdued dramatic performance without making his character too serious. "Crown Heights" is a harmless, watchable film, but it didn't have the effect it should have had on me. Plus, the intercutting of real news footage and videotaped simulations of news reports kind of took me out of the film. At times the director doesn't seem to know whether he wants to make a documentary or docudrama.