Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Follows the lives of three young males living in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles, dissecting questions of race, relationships, violence and future prospects.

Director:

John Singleton

Writer:

John Singleton

Stars:

Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Hudhail Al-Amir

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hudhail Al-Amir	...	S.A.T. Man
Lloyd Avery II	...	Knucklehead #2
Angela Bassett	...	Reva Styles
Miya McGhee	...	Female Club Member (as Mia Bell)
Lexie Bigham	...	Mad Dog
Kenneth A. Brown	...	Little Chris
Nicole Brown	...	Brandi - Age 10
Ceal	...	Sheryl
Morris Chestnut	...	Ricky Baker
Darneicea Corley	...	Keisha
John Cothran	...	Lewis Crump (as John Cothran Jr.)
Ice Cube	...	Doughboy / Darren
Na'Blonka Durden	...	Trina (as Na' Blonka Durden)
Susan Falcon	...	Mrs. Olaf
Jessie Lawrence Ferguson	...	Officer Coffey (as Jesse Ferguson)

Storyline

John Singleton's portrayal of social problems in inner-city Los Angeles takes the form of a tale of three friends growing up together 'in the 'hood.' Half-brothers Doughboy and Ricky Baker are foils for each other's personality, presenting very different approaches to the tough lives they face. Ricky is the 'All-American' athlete, looking to win a football scholarship to USC and seeks salvation through sports, while 'Dough' succumbs to the violence, alcohol, and crime surrounding him in his environment, but maintains a strong sense of pride and code of honor. Between these two is their friend Tre, who is lucky to have a father, 'Furious' Styles, to teach him to have the strength of character to do what is right and to always take responsibility for his actions.

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Plot Keywords:

year 1984 | pacifier | year 1991 | man with glasses | ex convict | 

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Taglines:

Increase the peace.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, violence and sensuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 July 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Boys in the Hood

Filming Locations:

5918 Cimarron Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,023,462, 14 July 1991, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$57,504,069

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When John Singleton was applying for film school one of the questions on the application was to describe "three ideas for films". One of Singleton's ideas, titled "Summer of 84", would later evolve into this movie. Singleton was protective of his script, insisting that he be the one to direct the project and explaining at a retrospective screening of the film, "I wasn't going to have somebody from Idaho or Encino direct my movie."

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Goofs

During the flashback to 1984 when Trey and his father are driving down the street, there is a 1986-89 model Honda Accord at an intersection as they drive by.

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Quotes

Furious Styles: I know every time you turn on the TV, that's what you see. Black people, sellin' the rock, pushin' the rock, pushin' the rock. Yeah, I know. But that wasn't a problem as long as it was here. It wasn't a problem until it was in Iowa, on Wall Street, where there are hardly any black people.

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Crazy Credits

After the epilogue of what happens to Doughboy and Tre, the words "Boyz n the Hood: Increase the Peace" appears onscreen

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Alternate Versions

The Criterion Collection laserdisc features two scenes deleted from the theatrical version. They are as follows: Tre and his mother have a telephone conversation about his future with Brandi and college. Doughboy has a confrontation with Furious after Ricky gets shot.

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Connections

Referenced in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)

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Soundtracks

Let's Go
Written, Produced and Performed by Kool Moe Dee
Courtesy of Jive Records

User Reviews

A Powerful Drama That Has not Aged

In South Central Los Angeles, the boy Tre Styles lives with his divorced mother Reva Styles (Angela Bassett). When Tre is suspended for three days at school, Reva decides to send him to live in Crenshaw with his father, the businessman Furious Styles (Larry Fishburne), "to become a man". Tre befriends his neighbors, the half-brothers Doughboy and Ricky Baker, and soon they become best friends. Seven years later, Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is an educated teenager preparing to join the university; Ricky (Morris Chestnut) is an athlete, expecting to join the university with scholarship since he is a great football player; and Doughboy (Ice Cube) is a small time criminal that has been arrested several times. But they live in a dangerous neighborhood where dreams are shattered by bullets.

"Boyz n the Hood" is a powerful drama by John Singleton that has not aged after twenty-five years. The social problem in American ghettos is shown in South Central Los Angeles. Youths are forced to live with violence and shootings since their parents cannot afford to move to a better neighborhood and even those that try to prepare for a better future, may be involved with the environment. The fate of Ricky and his family is heartbreaking. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Boyz n the Hood - Os Donos da Rua" ("Boyz n the Hood – The Owners of the Street")