Sitcom mastermind Kenya Barris knows his way around the witty rat-a-tat, as a writer and an occasional director. At the helm of his first feature, the Black-ish creator choreographs a who’s who of comic talent and lets them shine — key among them Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jonah Hill, who shares screenwriting credit with Barris. In their L.A. story, the 35-year-old son of affluent white Jews and the daughter of affluent Black Muslims fall in love. Let the comedy of discomfort begin.
You People revels in tipping sacred cows (the Holocaust, slavery, liberals, Black Lives Matter), and yet it fits quite comfortably within a time-tested rom-com formula. The Netflix comedy, receiving a limited theatrical release a week before its Jan. 27 streaming debut, abounds with well-etched characters, a good number of them lovably annoying or just plain ridiculous. It comes on like gangbusters and keeps generating belly laughs well past the halfway point,...
You People revels in tipping sacred cows (the Holocaust, slavery, liberals, Black Lives Matter), and yet it fits quite comfortably within a time-tested rom-com formula. The Netflix comedy, receiving a limited theatrical release a week before its Jan. 27 streaming debut, abounds with well-etched characters, a good number of them lovably annoying or just plain ridiculous. It comes on like gangbusters and keeps generating belly laughs well past the halfway point,...
- 1/20/2023
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Writer-director Rick Famuyiwa makes a promising feature debut with "The Wood", a warm rite-of-passage comedy.
Nurtured at the Sundance Institute's screenwriters and directors lab, the ensemble piece is something of a hip-hop "Stand by Me" peppered with a little "Wedding Singer" 1980s nostalgia and "American Pie" raunch.
While the picture's shaping and pacing would have benefited from a more seasoned hand, Famuyiwa's richly written, exceptionally well-cast characters strike a pleasant chord.
"The Wood" should do well by its targeted young urban audience, although any significant crossover seems unlikely.
Set in Inglewood, Calif., (the "Wood" in question), the story concerns a trio of best friends from childhood who are experiencing some delayed emotional growing pains.
Just hours before his wedding, Roland (Taye Diggs) has gone AWOL with a bad case of prenuptial jitters, sending buddies Mike (Omar Epps) and Slim (Richard T. Jones) on his trail.
They track him down having a panic attack at the home of an old high school sweetheart (Tamala Jones), and while doing their best to get him sobered up, they begin to reminisce about their carefree lives back in the day when jheri curls, K-Swiss tennis shoes and Guess USA jackets reigned supreme.
Past shares screen time with the present as Young Roland (Trent Cameron), Young Mike (Sean Nelson) and Young Slim (Duane Finley) do impressive renderings of their hormonally driven, teenaged selves.
In fact, all the film's characters are credibly conveyed by the talented cast. In addition to Diggs, Epps and Jones and their younger counterparts, Malinda Williams does effective work as Alicia, the fine but fiery object of Mike's guarded affections, while De'Aundre Bonds is comically on the money as her delinquent big brother.
Writer-director Famuyiwa certainly has a lot of room to grow, as evidenced by the constant shifts back and forth in time, signaled by a close-up of a needle landing on a spinning record, don't always flow smoothly and can get a little old after a while. But he adeptly captures the camaraderie and has a gentle, unforced way with humor.
Production values are strong, particularly Steven Bernstein's ("The Waterboy") energetic camera work and some frighteningly familiar '80s touches from production designers Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard, not to mention some of costume designer Darryle Johnson's cringe-inducing "period" finds.
Also making his feature debut here is jazz bassist Robert Hurst, who delivers a mellow, unobtrusive score that blends in well with those vintage Luther and Levert slow jams.
THE WOOD
Paramount
An MTV Films production
in association with Bona Fide Prods.
Director-screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa
Story: Rick Famuyiwa and Todd Boyd
Producers: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, David Gale
Executive producer: Van Toffler
Director of photography: Steven Bernstein
Production designers: Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard
Editor: John Carter
Costume designer: Darryle Johnson
Music supervisor: Pilar McCurry
Music: Robert Hurst
Casting: Mali Finn and Emily Schweber
Color/stereo
Cast:
Mike: Omar Epps
Roland: Taye Diggs
Slim: Richard T. Jones
Young Mike: Sean Nelson
Young Roland: Trent Cameron
Young Slim: Duane Finley
Young Alicia: Malinda Williams
Stacey: De'Aundre Bonds
Tanya: Tamala Jones
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Nurtured at the Sundance Institute's screenwriters and directors lab, the ensemble piece is something of a hip-hop "Stand by Me" peppered with a little "Wedding Singer" 1980s nostalgia and "American Pie" raunch.
While the picture's shaping and pacing would have benefited from a more seasoned hand, Famuyiwa's richly written, exceptionally well-cast characters strike a pleasant chord.
"The Wood" should do well by its targeted young urban audience, although any significant crossover seems unlikely.
Set in Inglewood, Calif., (the "Wood" in question), the story concerns a trio of best friends from childhood who are experiencing some delayed emotional growing pains.
Just hours before his wedding, Roland (Taye Diggs) has gone AWOL with a bad case of prenuptial jitters, sending buddies Mike (Omar Epps) and Slim (Richard T. Jones) on his trail.
They track him down having a panic attack at the home of an old high school sweetheart (Tamala Jones), and while doing their best to get him sobered up, they begin to reminisce about their carefree lives back in the day when jheri curls, K-Swiss tennis shoes and Guess USA jackets reigned supreme.
Past shares screen time with the present as Young Roland (Trent Cameron), Young Mike (Sean Nelson) and Young Slim (Duane Finley) do impressive renderings of their hormonally driven, teenaged selves.
In fact, all the film's characters are credibly conveyed by the talented cast. In addition to Diggs, Epps and Jones and their younger counterparts, Malinda Williams does effective work as Alicia, the fine but fiery object of Mike's guarded affections, while De'Aundre Bonds is comically on the money as her delinquent big brother.
Writer-director Famuyiwa certainly has a lot of room to grow, as evidenced by the constant shifts back and forth in time, signaled by a close-up of a needle landing on a spinning record, don't always flow smoothly and can get a little old after a while. But he adeptly captures the camaraderie and has a gentle, unforced way with humor.
Production values are strong, particularly Steven Bernstein's ("The Waterboy") energetic camera work and some frighteningly familiar '80s touches from production designers Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard, not to mention some of costume designer Darryle Johnson's cringe-inducing "period" finds.
Also making his feature debut here is jazz bassist Robert Hurst, who delivers a mellow, unobtrusive score that blends in well with those vintage Luther and Levert slow jams.
THE WOOD
Paramount
An MTV Films production
in association with Bona Fide Prods.
Director-screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa
Story: Rick Famuyiwa and Todd Boyd
Producers: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, David Gale
Executive producer: Van Toffler
Director of photography: Steven Bernstein
Production designers: Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard
Editor: John Carter
Costume designer: Darryle Johnson
Music supervisor: Pilar McCurry
Music: Robert Hurst
Casting: Mali Finn and Emily Schweber
Color/stereo
Cast:
Mike: Omar Epps
Roland: Taye Diggs
Slim: Richard T. Jones
Young Mike: Sean Nelson
Young Roland: Trent Cameron
Young Slim: Duane Finley
Young Alicia: Malinda Williams
Stacey: De'Aundre Bonds
Tanya: Tamala Jones
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/12/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fried chicken, cornbread, smoked ham, deep-dish cobbler, macaroni and cheese -- these are the dishes that bind, at least in this splendid story about a black family whose 40-year tradition of scrumptious Sunday dinners bring everyone in the family together.
Spiced with big pinches of humor and ladled over with a generous portion of affection, 20th Century Fox's "Soul Food" is appealing and a refreshing change from the gang-banger, exploitive nonsense that passes for portraits of blacks today.
With its terrific cast, centering on Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox and Nia Long, "Soul Food" will prove a wonderful dessert for black audiences, while its heartfelt, saucy story should cross over to sophisticated viewers of all races.
In studio pitch-ese, "Soul Food" is "Bonanza" with urban black females instead of range-riding white guys.
The head of this household is Mother Joe (Irma P. Hall), a steadfast matriarch who takes the good with the bad -- that's folks as well as news -- and makes it all work out. That's no mean feat, considering the oil-and-vinegar nature of her three daughters, who don't, to say the least, always see eye to eye. And, natch, they're married to three equally diverse guys.
They include: Teri (Williams), an ambitious buppie lawyer whose second marriage to a fellow lawyer (Michael Beach) is fraying at the seams; Maxine (Fox), the solid second sister whose down-home sensibilities and solid marriage to Jeffrey D. Sams' character have nurtured her children's growth: and Bird (Long), an effervescent hairstylist who is a risk-taker, giving unconditional love to her struggling, ex-con husband (Mekhi Phifer).
With all her survival wisdom, Mother Joe is a bit of a slacker when it comes to following a proper diet to control her diabetes. She takes ill, and the verdict is she'll have to have her leg amputated. During surgery, the woman falls into a deep coma. Without her Rock-of-Gibraltar strength, the family comes apart -- bickering, backstabbing, cheating.
It gets pretty messy and, ironically, the only one with the maturity to want to patch up things is Maxine's son, Ahmad (Brandon Hammond). Things get so nasty that while Mother Joe lies in the hospital, the family does not even keep up the Sunday dinners.
Throughout, screenwriter and director George Tillman Jr. percolates the mix with the natural stuffings of life, some more palatable than others. He's served up a terrific, heartwarming family story and, best, there are no artificial-sweetener additives.
While pickier viewers might grouse about a tendency to idealize unrealistically the young grandson's wisdom, it's a wonderful notion and generally carried out with credible aplomb by the acting ability of young Hammond.
The grown-ups aren't bad either. Williams is credible as the edgy, vainglorious lawyer, while Fox is positively winning as the sensible middle sister. As the baby of the family, Long is effervescent as the most adventurous of the trio.
As the family matriarch Mother Joe, Hall is perfectly cast, an inspirational figure all the way to the core.
Among the menfolk, Beach is convincing as a man torn between his profession and his dreams, while Sams is strong as a solid family man. Phifer's performance captures nicely the tough temptations faced by a man with a criminal record. Gina Ravera is sizzling as a prodigal dancer.
The technical contributions are just the right recipe, particularly Maxine Shepard's personality-precise production design. Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman's musical score is a highlight, both lilting and lively.
SOUL FOOD
20th Century Fox
Fox 2000 Pictures presents
an Edmonds Entertainment production
A George Tillman Jr. film
Producers :Tracey E. Edmonds, Robert Teitel
Screenwriter-director:George Tillman Jr.
Executive producer:Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
Director of photography:Paul Elliott
Production designer:Maxine Shepard
Editor :John Carter
Music :Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman
Co-producer :Michael McQuarn
Line producer :Llewellyn Wells
Costume designer:Salvador Perez
Casting:Robi Reed-Humes
Sound mixer :David Obermeyer
Color/stereo
Cast:
Teri :Vanessa Williams
Maxine :Vivica A. Fox
Bird:Nia Long
Miles :Michael Beach
Lem :Mekhi Phifer
Ahmad :Brandon Hammond
Kenny :Jeffrey D. Sams
Faith :Gina Ravera
Mother Joe :Irma P. Hall
Rev. Williams:Carl Wright
Running time -- 114 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Spiced with big pinches of humor and ladled over with a generous portion of affection, 20th Century Fox's "Soul Food" is appealing and a refreshing change from the gang-banger, exploitive nonsense that passes for portraits of blacks today.
With its terrific cast, centering on Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox and Nia Long, "Soul Food" will prove a wonderful dessert for black audiences, while its heartfelt, saucy story should cross over to sophisticated viewers of all races.
In studio pitch-ese, "Soul Food" is "Bonanza" with urban black females instead of range-riding white guys.
The head of this household is Mother Joe (Irma P. Hall), a steadfast matriarch who takes the good with the bad -- that's folks as well as news -- and makes it all work out. That's no mean feat, considering the oil-and-vinegar nature of her three daughters, who don't, to say the least, always see eye to eye. And, natch, they're married to three equally diverse guys.
They include: Teri (Williams), an ambitious buppie lawyer whose second marriage to a fellow lawyer (Michael Beach) is fraying at the seams; Maxine (Fox), the solid second sister whose down-home sensibilities and solid marriage to Jeffrey D. Sams' character have nurtured her children's growth: and Bird (Long), an effervescent hairstylist who is a risk-taker, giving unconditional love to her struggling, ex-con husband (Mekhi Phifer).
With all her survival wisdom, Mother Joe is a bit of a slacker when it comes to following a proper diet to control her diabetes. She takes ill, and the verdict is she'll have to have her leg amputated. During surgery, the woman falls into a deep coma. Without her Rock-of-Gibraltar strength, the family comes apart -- bickering, backstabbing, cheating.
It gets pretty messy and, ironically, the only one with the maturity to want to patch up things is Maxine's son, Ahmad (Brandon Hammond). Things get so nasty that while Mother Joe lies in the hospital, the family does not even keep up the Sunday dinners.
Throughout, screenwriter and director George Tillman Jr. percolates the mix with the natural stuffings of life, some more palatable than others. He's served up a terrific, heartwarming family story and, best, there are no artificial-sweetener additives.
While pickier viewers might grouse about a tendency to idealize unrealistically the young grandson's wisdom, it's a wonderful notion and generally carried out with credible aplomb by the acting ability of young Hammond.
The grown-ups aren't bad either. Williams is credible as the edgy, vainglorious lawyer, while Fox is positively winning as the sensible middle sister. As the baby of the family, Long is effervescent as the most adventurous of the trio.
As the family matriarch Mother Joe, Hall is perfectly cast, an inspirational figure all the way to the core.
Among the menfolk, Beach is convincing as a man torn between his profession and his dreams, while Sams is strong as a solid family man. Phifer's performance captures nicely the tough temptations faced by a man with a criminal record. Gina Ravera is sizzling as a prodigal dancer.
The technical contributions are just the right recipe, particularly Maxine Shepard's personality-precise production design. Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman's musical score is a highlight, both lilting and lively.
SOUL FOOD
20th Century Fox
Fox 2000 Pictures presents
an Edmonds Entertainment production
A George Tillman Jr. film
Producers :Tracey E. Edmonds, Robert Teitel
Screenwriter-director:George Tillman Jr.
Executive producer:Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
Director of photography:Paul Elliott
Production designer:Maxine Shepard
Editor :John Carter
Music :Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman
Co-producer :Michael McQuarn
Line producer :Llewellyn Wells
Costume designer:Salvador Perez
Casting:Robi Reed-Humes
Sound mixer :David Obermeyer
Color/stereo
Cast:
Teri :Vanessa Williams
Maxine :Vivica A. Fox
Bird:Nia Long
Miles :Michael Beach
Lem :Mekhi Phifer
Ahmad :Brandon Hammond
Kenny :Jeffrey D. Sams
Faith :Gina Ravera
Mother Joe :Irma P. Hall
Rev. Williams:Carl Wright
Running time -- 114 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 9/22/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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