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Epicurus.com - Baby Boy
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List Price: $14.94
Our Price: $10.49
Your Save: $ 4.45 ( 30% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Starring: AlexSandra Wright, Tyrese Gibson, Taraji P. Henson, Omar Gooding, Tamara LaSeon Bass
Directed By: John Singleton
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Sony
EAN: 9780767867108
Format: Closed-captioned
ISBN: 0767867106
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 99
Release Date: 2001-11-06
Running Time: 130
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: 2001
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Editorial Reviews:
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Ten years after the release of the seminal boyz n the hood acclaimed director john singleton returns to the same inner-city los angeles neighborhood for the story of a misguided 20-year-old african american man a baby boy facing the commitments of real life. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 10/04/2005 Starring: Tyrese Gibson Ving Rhames Run time: 130 minutes Rating: R Director: John Singleton
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Clumsy movie that makes excuses for irresponsible Black men.
Comment: John Singleton's baby Boy attempt to make a comment on the state of young black men in Los Angeles. However this irresponsible movie tends to glorify the irresponsible behavior of its male characters instead of explaining the reasons why Black men have such a hard time becoming responsible providers in their communities. Underneath all the violence, foul language and graphic sex of this film is the same disjointed writing, clumsy acting, unfocused direction and poor editing that is prominent in every John Singleton film. Why do they keep letting this guy direct movies?
Baby Boy follows the story of Jody, a 20-year-old black man who still lives with his mother. Sadly his chicken headed mother acts more like a sister than his mom. Jody has two girlfriends, and has two babies by them. He has no way to support himself and has no reason to. Mommy takes care of him and his baby mammas take care of the kids. She's trying to move on with her life doing gardening and a new man, an ex-con with two strikes against him. He's trying to start a business twenty years too late. Jody spends his days hanging out with an unbalanced homie P or driving around town in his baby mama's car. Most times Jody and the young men in this movie have no goals, no dreams, and no aspirations outside of getting drunk or high. Singleton's picture of young Black men in America is heavily distorted, full of stereotypes .
Pressured by his woman, Baby Boy starts selling stolen clothes out of the trunk of her car, and in beauty salons. She starts to get jealous when she sees him flirting with his attractive female customers. But Jody perseveres to the point where he does well for himself. Baby Boy's Mama's Man gives Jody some good advice, but Jody refuses to listen cause he doesn't like the thug who has more wisdom and experience than he does. Hello Pot? This is Kettle. You're black.
Jody starts blowing on worthless stuff like money on rims and clothes. A girl at baby mama's work starts noticing Jody and this is where the film starts losing its perspective. We get long scenes where his insecure baby mama gives him drama about cheating, and mixed signals about their relationship. The movie starts to completely fall apart when Snoop Dogg hits the screen. After a fight turns into domestic violence, Baby Boy abandons his family. Snoop fresh off parole moves himself and his pot-smoking homeboys in. After an attempted rape in front of Jody's son him and his pot smoking homies have it in for Jody. They plan a drive by which miraculously misses Jody. Later that night Jody and his mentally unstable friend plan a hit on Snoop to protect his family. The two men eventually murder Snoop. A terrified Jody returns to Mama's house and Her man helps him gets rid of the evidence. One irresponsible act leads to another irresponsible act and that puts Jody on the right track to responsible behavior. Nice message Singleton.
Baby Boy is solid in the first half, and starts to lose focus and perspective after that. The second Baby mama from the middle class neighborhood disappears after the hour mark. I never get the sense that Jody has learned his lesson despite the idealized happy ending. One thing that irked me was that there was no mention of education in this movie. Education is the most powerful tool out of poverty yet Singleton never plays it up in this movie. Also, he never explores the roots of this irresponsible behavior among black men: the long-term psychological effects of institutional racism in the black community. The Omar Gooding character who was becoming more and more mentally unbalanced and violent due to the effects of this discrimination seems to just change for the better after a baptism. I don't buy it just like I don't buy the characters in this movie have changed at all from their experiences.
Despite Singelton's unfocused direction and clunky writing, the cinematography in this movie is solid portraying the ghetto as a place that is stagnant in a world that is constantly progressing. Tyrese is Okay as Jody. He starts off weak, but gets better as the movie progresses. Ving Rhames gives a solid performance as the ex-con. Omar Gooding steals the movie with his chilling portrayal of a man about to lose his mind. Snoop Dogg is himself playing an evil gangsta without a soul.
Baby Boy is worth a rental at best. Pick this up with Hollywood Shuffle for some nice contrast.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Movie
Comment: This is one of my favorite movies. Tyrese plays the character "Jody" so well and he's so sexy while doing it. Taraji P. Henson is one of my favorite actresses as well and she does a good job at playing "Yvette." This movie takes you through life in the hood and a young male struggling on his journey to manhood.
Customer Rating:
Summary: good
Comment: i think alot of women out there can relate to tyrese's character jody and what he put his mother and his girl through.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Moving Tale Of One Mans Fear To Leave His Mothers Nest
Comment: John Singleton is a director that has brought us great movies that are typically based on the life of a young African American facing some sort of struggle. This, to some may seem very clichéd and in a sense it is. John Singleton gives us the stereotypical Afro American in LA setting. This is something we see a lot in "Keeping it real" black movies, and simply a lot of young Afro-Americans will tell you that life in these areas is simply not like it's depicted. With the cliché this film does give us a true image of what every person faces in their lives and that's the transition into adulthood when we must all leave the family nest and take flight by ourselves.
Jody is a young African American man who still lives with his mother and her new lover in LA. Jody has a son and daughter to two different women and instead of growing up and becoming a responsible adult, he still remains un-employed and scared to leave home. Jody is a man who desperately wants to turn his life around and become the responsible father that he never had, but can't get over the fear of leaving his mothers nest and flying on his own.
The cast of Ving Rhames, Tyrese Gibson, Taraji P. Henson and A.J. Johnson really make this movie blend well. There are, however some real stereotyping issues that must be discussed to really give a fair and honest portrayal of this movie. There are quite a few stereotypes in this movie that I think all will agree should not really take place in this movie if it was an attempt to give a real depiction of Afro-American life. The black kid without a Dad, the abusive boyfriend slaps around his girl yet she stays with him, the black guy who has more than one girlfriend and a child that he doesn't really care about. These are all typical African American stereotypes that I just feel if John Singleton really set out to make a serious movie then these weren't really necessary. I mentioned that this movie touches on something that we all face in our lifetime, and that's true, we all face the time when we must leave home and start a nest of our own. Some find it easier than others and this film displays someone who really can't get the courage to get out there on his own.
It is something we've seen a thousand times before and is something we will see a thousand times more, the only real triumph of this movie is the believability and chemistry of the cast. Buy it, but be warned, you've seen it all before.
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the best films of the summer 2001
Comment: Baby Boy was one of the best films to be released in the summer of 2001. The film which tells the story of a man who needs to grow up, really hit home for guys who live in single parents with their mothers. The acting is exceptional in particular Tyrese who plays Jody. Snoop is also good as Rodney as is Omar Gooding. The best acting job comes from Ving Rhames as Jody's mom's new man and Taraji P. Henson as Jody's girl. This film is highly recommended. The only ones who didn't like it were those who didn't understand the message.
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