Meet The Browns (2008)

Brenda (Angela Bassett), a single mom in Chicago, has her share of problems. Right at the beginning of the film, she loses her low-paying job in a plant due to the place suddenly going out of business. She doesn't have money to pay the gruff babysitter (Irma P. Hall), who watches her youngest daughter. The father (Philip Edward Van Lear) of her son will not lift a finger to help her, and resents her asking him for anything. Then Brenda receives a letter that her dad, whom she never knew, has died. She never knew his side of the family, either. After much going back and forth, she decides to go to Georgia to attend his funeral. No sooner than she gets off the bus with her three kids, she is greeted by Leroy Brown (David Mann) in all his loud-color glory. She meets Brown's other family members including his daughter Cora (Tamela Mann), and his older brother L.B. (Frankie Faison). All seem to welcome her except for Brown's sister, Vera (Jenifer Lewis), who has something smart to say about everything. There is confusion about why Brenda was invited to the funeral, until the bomb is dropped that she is the daughter of the deceased. L.B. was the person who wrote Brenda the letter. If you've seen Tyler Perry's stage play in person or on DVD, you will recognize that several plot points were changed. In the stage version, it was Cora who "meets the Browns" for the first time after she learns her grandfather (Leroy's dad) has passed on. It was revealed in an earlier play, Madea's Class Reunion, that Leroy was Cora's dad, the result of one-night stand between Leroy and Madea. I can't say that all of the changes were effective. Overall, this is a pleasant time-waster, but not on the level of Perry's earlier efforts. You know how things are going to turn out for Brenda early on, especially when she meets Harry (Rick Fox), a former basketball star who believes her son Michael (Lance Gross) has talent to make it in the pros. David Mann, who originated the part of Leroy Brown onstage, is funny, but his character is somewhat muted in favor of the Brenda character. I wish Vera had more screen time because she stole just about every one she was in. Madea, Perry's most famous character, makes a brief appearance along with her brother Joe (also played by Perry). The scene was amusing, but did nothing to further the plot along. Angela Bassett is an Oscar-nominated actress who has appeared in What's Love Got To Do With It (1993) and Waiting To Exhale (1995). Jenifer Lewis also appeared in What's Love Got To Do With It, and she sings as well. Lance Gross has a role on Perry's cable sitcom, "Meet The Paynes". Rick Fox was a pro basketball player in real life. He played for the Boston Celtics and later the LA Lakers. Margaret Avery (who plays L.B.'s wife) was nominated for an Oscar for her role in The Color Purple (1985). Frankie Faison was in the TV series "True Colors" (1990-1991).

Boyz In The Hood (1991)

Absolutely the best of the "'hood" movies that were produced during the 1990's. Tre' (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is a teen who resides with his dad, Furious (Lawrence Fishburne) in rough South Central Los Angeles. His buddies are Doughboy (Ice Cube) and Ricky (Morris Chestnut), half-brothers who have somewhat of a rivalry going. Ricky is a high school sports star, while Doughboy has spent his time in and out of juvenile hall. In fact, as the movie opens, there is a party being thrown by the brothers' mom to welcome Doughboy home from another stint in jail.

It is explained that Tre' is living with his dad because his mom felt the boy was getting out of hand. Indeed, under his father's guidance, Tre' is a decent kid. However, he and his friends have to deal with the day-to-day trials of living in a neighborhood that lives under the cloud of gang warfare and street violence. Police helicopers patrol the area at night, shining bright lights on everyone. There is a scene where Tre's girlfriend, Brandi (Nia Long) is trying to do her homework as shots ring out on the street. Tre' is harassed by the cops in another harrowing scene, for apparently no reason other than he is an African-American young man.

Doughboy continues his gang association, and quickly starts a beef with a rival group. A war of words soon turns into a war of bullets, and tragedy follows the main characters.

This was director John Singleton's first major film. Cuba Gooding Jr. is the son of the lead singer of the R&B group The Main Ingredients. Gooding won a Best Supporting Oscar for his work in Jerry Maquire (1996). Nia Long appeared as Will Smith's girlfriend on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"(1990-1996). Ice Cube was a member of the infamous rap group Public Enemy, who were chastized by the FBI for their hit "Fuck The Police". He was also the lead in the comedy Barbershop (2002). Morris Chestnut was in The Inkwell (1994). Angela Bassett, who was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for What's Love Got To Do With It?, appears as Gooding's mom.