Crooklyn

Director: Spike Lee Spike Lee

Overview

"Spike Lee's tender and nostalgic tale of one family's memorable summer in Brooklyn arrives on DVD courtesy of MCA Home Video. Presented in the original 1.85:1 theatrical widescreen version and featuring a closed captioned English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, this release also offers an additional French Dolby Digital 5.1 track in addition to optional Spanish subtitles. Extra features include production notes, web links, talent bios, and film highlights."

Product Details

Release Date:	02/23/1999
UPC:	0025192051524
Original Release:	1994
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Universal Studios
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:54:00
Sales rank:	580,027

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Zelda Harris	Troy
Alfre Woodard	Carolyn
Delroy Lindo	Woody
David Patrick Kelly	Tony Eyes
Carlton Williams	Clinton,Possom/Tracey
Joie Susannah Lee	Aunt Maxine,Snuffy
Sharif Rashed	Wendell
Tse-Mach Washington	Joseph Carmichael,Vic
Christopher Knowings	Nate Carmichael
Ivelka Reyes	Jessica,Minnie
N. Jeremi Duru	Right Hand Man
Frances Foster	Aunt Song
Norman Matlock	Clem
Patriece Nelson	Viola
Vondie Curtis Hall	Uncle Brown
Raymond Reliford	Possom/George
Peewee Love	Possom/Greg
Bokeem Woodbine	Richard
Mildred Clinton	Mrs. Columbo
Emelise Aleandri	Florence
Omar Scroggins	Quentin
Danielle K. Thomas	Diane
Asia Gilyard	Cathy
Carmen Tillery	Brenda
Taneal Royal	Poochie
Kendell Freeman	Ronald
Kewanna Bonaparte	Peanut
Gary Perez	Juan,Hector
Arthur French	West Indian Store Manager
RuPaul	Bodega Woman
Yolande Morris	Sheila
Dan Grimaldi	Con Ed Man
Susan Jacks	Tammy
Christopher Wynkoop	TV Evangelist
Rene Ojeda	Louie
Tracy Vilar	Monica
Keith Johnson	Cornell
Michelle Shay	Drunk Woman,Drunk Woman
Hector M. Ricci Jr.	Tito
Nadijah Abdul-Khalia	Vicki
Bruce Hawkins	Funeral Mourner
Richard Whiten	Neighbor
Michelle Rosario	Neighbor
Maurie A. Chandler	Judy,Actor
Derrick Peart	Supermarket Customer
Ulysses Terrero	Supermarket Customer
Johnette Cook	Supermarket Customer
Desiree Murray	Supermarket Customer
Zay Smith	Actor
José Zúñiga	Tommy La La
Robi Reed-Humes	Actor
Terence Blanchard	Composer

Technical Credits

Spike Lee

Spike Lee	Director,Screenwriter,Screenwriter,Screenwriter,Producer
Jon Kilik	Executive Producer,Producer
Steve Kirshoff	Special Effects
Robi Reed-Humes	Casting
Jeff Ward	Stunts
Preston Holmes	Producer
Rolf Pardula	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Spike Lee takes a break from sensationalism with Crooklyn, a wistful yet uncompromising look at the lower middle-class Brooklyn of his youth. Episodic and told through the eyes of the family's lone daughter, Troy, played by the revelatory Zelda Harris, Crooklyn is rich with atmosphere and classic R&B tunes from the early '70s. But without Lee's usual sociopolitical agendas, it's more of a pleasant diversion than a film of lasting import. To be sure, Lee is still interested in the pulsing dynamics of inner city neighborhoods, notably how the conditions incite argument. But with elements like the wonderful opening credits montage, featuring the diverse range of sidewalk games the children concoct to pass the time, the film takes the softer tone of a labor of love by and about his family. Lee's siblings Joie and Cinque, novice screenwriters, conceal their inexperience with skillful, natural slices of the life they once knew, though it's likely Lee had a far greater hand in the writing. Delroy Lindo and Alfre Woodard give sympathetic performances as parents refreshingly free from dysfunction, other than the father's impractical earnestness about progressing as a musician. The contrast between Southern rural blacks and inner-city blacks, explored during the summer Troy spends with her relatives, also yields interesting insights. Although the director made his reputation on inflammatory subject matter, his foray into more personal territory is a welcome success on its own modest terms.