The Wood ***
rated R Paramount/MTV Films 107 minutes starring Omar Epps, Sean Nelson, Taye Diggs, Trent Cameron, Richard T. Jones, Duane Finley, Malinda Williams, De'aundre Bonds, Cynthia Martells, Lisaraye, Tamala Jones based on a story by Rick Famuyima and Todd Boyd written and directed by Rick Famuyima
Inglewood, California, known to many of its inhabitants as "the wood", is a small, middle-class urban community populated mostly by African-Americans. Minutes away from the airport and (former) home of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Wood represents L.A. like few places can. Inglewood is also the setting for Rick Famuyima's wonderful debut film, "The Wood". "The Wood" is the tale of three young men, Mike, Roland and Slim, who reminisce about growing up in Inglewood, on the day of Roland's wedding. The narrator is Mike(Omar Epps as an adult, Sean Nelson as a teenager), a self-described peacemaker who moved to the Wood when he was in the eighth grade. On his first day of school, he meets Roland(Taye Diggs as an adult, Trent Cameron as a teenager) and Slim(NFL wide-receiver Richard T. Jones as an adult, Duane Finley as a teenager), and they instantly become friends when the naive Mike accepts a bet in which he has to grab the "booty" of fellow classmate Alicia(Malinda Williams), whom Mike has a crush on.
Alicia turns out to be quite a strong girl, and as well as punching him, she gets her older brother, Stacey(De'aundre Bonds), a gang member, to beat Mike up after school. However, for the remainder of the year, she takes a liking to him, and Mike reconciles with her brother in an unconventional way. The relationship between Mike and Alicia builds up through high school, as things become more serious.
Meanwhile, back in the present day, Roland is unable to be found and it is up to Mike and Slim to locate him so that the wedding can happen. They end up finding him at the house of an old flame(Tamala Jones), drunk and wasted on the couch. The three once again think back to when times were different, and they feel hidden sadness for the friend that they are about to "lose". However, the real coming-of-age occurs as the Mike and Slim watch their friend take the first steps towards a more stable life; steps that even he is having second thoughts about.
Writer/director Rick Famuyima is telling the true story of his own adolescence in the Wood, and it is another story of African-Americans growing up in "the hood", but it doesn't involve racism or gang warfare. USC-grad Famuyima, unlike other urban black talents such as Spike Lee and John Singleton, chooses to give his characters a human portrayal without resorting to violence. Rick Famuyima is a filmmaker with a positive message.
The flashback scenes are usually more effective than the real-time scenes, despite the latter's fine cast of actors. Sean Nelson gives an excellent performance as young Mike, going through an "American Pie"-like coming-of-age. Taye Diggs and Richard T. Jones also take a backseat while Omar Epps shows a lighter side, unlike his character in "The Mod Squad".
"The Wood" is the first MTV Film that I can actually recommend (although "Election" was downright ambitious), helped in a large part by its funky soundtrack. The film hasn't amounted to much at the box office in this crowded summer, but hopefully it will find its niche beyond its target audience. Rick Famuyima is someone to watch.
a review by Akiva Gottlieb, The Teenage Movie Critic akiva@excite.com http://teenagemoviecritic.8m.com
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