DirectorJulian Henriques
Production Companies
Channel 4 Films, Formation Films
Producer
Parminder Vir
Screenplay
Julian Henriques
Co-writer
Vivienne Howard
Anita's monologue
Trilla Jenna
Cinematography
Ron Fortunato
Music
John Lunn
Cast: Anjela Lauren Smith (Anita); Caroline Chikezie (Sharon); Jocelyn Esien (Yvette); Wil Johnson (Byron); Don Warrington (Luther); Tameka Empson (Dionne)
‘Babymother' Anita has ambition to become a reggae singer but it's difficult bringing up two kids on a rough housing estate, not to mention the problems she is having with the children's detached father.
Where many black directors have made music an important part of their films Babymother (d. Julian Henriques, 1998) is the first truly Black British musical. Despite the strong tradition of British musicals in the 1960s and '70s, by the 1990s the form had virtually disappeared. The main reason was the box-office disaster of Absolute Beginners (d. Julian Temple, 1986). Babymother, alongside Alan Parker's The Commitments (UK/US, 1991), was one of the few British musicals of the period.
Like Henriques' well-received short, We the Ragamuffin (Channel 4, tx.7/9/1992), Babymother is set in the world of reggae dancehall promotion and council estates, among the poor black youths who live in the latter and find pleasure in the former.
Teen mum Anita (Anjela Lauren Smith) has style, energy and attitude. Her ambition is to become the local Dancehall queen. But she lacks confidence and is overshadowed by Byron (Wil Johnson), father of her two children and a successful singer in his own right. When Byron steals some of her lyrics, she is determined to make her own mark. But the realities of single motherhood - no money, trapped in a dreary high rise estate - hold her back. Her plans are also momentarily derailed by a personal crisis.
Supported by her 'rude girl' friends, Anita emerges a black feminist icon, overcoming many obstacles to forge a recording career. Eventually her path crosses the now hostile Byron, angry that she is not home with the kids and dares to compete with him. At a major 'sound clash', where deejays and singers battle for the Dancehall crown, Anita and Byron go toe to toe - with surprising consequences.
Using reggae and the conventions of the musical, Babymother uncovers the energetic culture beating at the heart of Harlesden's streets and estates. Alongside veterans Corinne Skinner-Carter, as Anita's mum, and Don Warrington, as ruthless promoter Luther, the film introduces many unknown actors and musicians from this world.
Although it captures the vibrant black dancehall culture of Harlesden, it does so in a strange vacuum, where no white faces intrude, and no attempt is made to engage with the wider world. Some critics identified this as the film's greatest weakness, removing an important level of conflict. Babymother remains a very traditional British musical. Like Tommy (d. Ken Russell, 1975) and Oliver! (d. Carol Reed, 1968), it uses music to accurately explore a sub-culture and raise wider social issues.
John Singleton’s Boyz N the Hood (1991)
CastLaurence Fishburne — Jason "Furious" Styles
Cuba Gooding Jr. — Tré Styles
Ice Cube — Darin "Doughboy" Baker
Morris Chestnut — Ricky Baker
Nia Long — Brandi
Angela Bassett — Reva Devereaux
Tyra Ferrell — Brenda Baker
Dedrick D. Gobert — Dooky
Regi Green - Chris
Baldwin C. Sykes — Monster
Regina King — Shalika
Lexie Bigham — Mad Dog
Vonte Sweet - Rick Rock
Desi Hines - Tre age 10
Baha Jackson - Doughboy age 10
Kenneth A Brown - Lil Chris
Raymond C. Turner - Ferris
Crew
John Singleton - Director, Screenwriter
Steve Nicolaides - Producer
Bob Minor - Stunts
Bruce Bellamy - Art Director
Bruce Cannon - Editor
Charles Mills - Cinematographer
Kathryn Peters - Set Designer
Stanley Clarke - Composer (Music Score)
Director John Singleton's debut chronicles the trials and tribulations of three young African-American males growing up in South Central Los Angeles. When young Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a bright underachiever, begins to show signs of trouble, his struggling professional mother (Angela Basset) sends him to live with his father (Lawrence Fishburne), a hard-nosed, no-nonsense disciplinarian. There he befriends Ricky (Morris Chestnut), a burgeoning football star, and Doughboy (Ice Cube, in a standout performance), a would-be gang banger. Over the years, each chooses his own path: Tre seems bound for college; Ricky is a blue-chip running back with his pick of schools; Doughboy is a dope dealer and bona fide gangster who drifts in and out of the county juvenile facility. All is well until, without warning, a rival gang chases down Tre and Ricky with tragic results. Doughboy immediately prepares for revenge, forcing Tre to decide whether to jeopardize his future and, perhaps, his life for the price of revenge and self-respect. Sometimes riveting, Boyz 'N the Hood is not without its problems. The film tries to cram every single issue facing the black community into an hour and a half of screen time, making the film seem at times forced. The symbolism seems forced as well, and the film is often unbearably heavy-handed. Also, the characterization often relies on cardboard cut-outs; every white character in the film is a one-dimensional bigot, and the black police officer with whom Tre and his father deal is even worse than his Caucasian counterparts. Still, the unevenness of the film is redeemed by some moments of true brilliance. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
Themes
· benefit of a strong father figure on young black males.
· unstoppable violence
· moral implications of teenage sexuality.
· The main theme in the movie is to "increase the peace"
· gentrification of poor neighborhoods
· drug abuse
· sexual promiscuity
· equality in college admission
· cultural bias in standardized testing.
