Crooklyn (1994)

Spike Lee's vibrant semi-autobiographical portrait of a school teacher, her stubborn jazz musician husband and their five kids living in Brooklyn in 1973.

Director:

Spike Lee

Writers:

Joie Lee (story) (as Joie Susannah Lee), Joie Lee (screenplay) (as Joie Susannah Lee)

Stars:

Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo, David Patrick Kelly

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alfre Woodard	...	Carolyn
Delroy Lindo	...	Woody
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 (as José Zuniga)
Isaiah Washington	...	Vic
Ivelka Reyes	...	Jessica
Spike Lee	...	Snuffy
N. Jeremi Duru	...	Right Hand Man
Frances Foster	...	Aunt Song
Norman Matlock	...	Clem

Storyline

Spike Lee's vibrant semi-autobiographical portrait of a school teacher, her stubborn jazz musician husband and their five kids living in Brooklyn in 1973.

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Plot Keywords:

semi autobiographical | bully | argument | birthday | visit | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for drug content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Crooklyn: Uma Família de Pernas pro Ar

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$13,640,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures,40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks,Child Hood Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Delroy Lindo, he was very intimidated by working with children as had not worked with children before and did not have his own children at the time.

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Goofs

In the beginning of the movie, Troy is playing stick ball wearing moccasin shoes, in the next scene, she is still wearing the moccasin shoes.

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Quotes

Nate: May I PLEASE be excused?
Carolyn Carmichael: No, you may not. You're gonna sit there until you eat every black eyed pea on your 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 ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The closing credits play over old footage of several episodes of "Soul Train".

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Connections

Referenced in The Directors: The Films of Spike Lee (2000)

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Soundtracks

Oh Girl
Written by Eugene Record
Performed by The Chi-Lites

User Reviews

Underrated gem from Spike Lee

CROOKLYN isn't Spike Lee's greatest, but it comes very close. Parts of the film hit so close to home with me - the sense of community so vividly depicted, and the 70s soul music (which is nearly ubiquitous through CROOKLYN) makes this film something much like a musical, with the grit and intimacy of Lee's visual realism constantly balanced against the idealism and romanticism of the music. As slice-of-life Americana, this is about as good as it gets. I disliked the scenes with the Aunt & Uncle - I felt that they were being ridiculed mercilessly, for no good reason (they are the living embodiment of the idealism contained in at least some of the music heard at other times in the film, whether they know it or not), and I wished those scenes were handled with more subtlety - Lee, like his NYC bretheren Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen has major issues with suburban types (this hits a peak in Lee's later BAMBOOZLED - an almost brilliant, but also almost cruel expression of rage at the excesses of the entertainment industry that also aimed merciless fury at uncritical audiences - audiences of any and every race and class).

But this scene aside, the remainder of CROOKLYN is so strong, and very well-made - I'd still offer a recommendation.