Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Joseph B. Vasquez

Writer:

Joseph B. Vasquez (writer)

Release Date:

5 April 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Two African-Americans and two Puerto-Ricans (though one pretends to be Italian) go out on the town on a Friday night...

Plot Keywords:

Puerto Rican | African American | Race Relations | Blacks Versus Italians | New York City

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Doug E. Doug	...	Willie Stevens
Mario Joyner	...	Tom McNeal
John Leguizamo	...	Johnny
Nestor Serrano	...	Vinny / Fernando
Kimberly Russell	...	Vanessa
Mary B. Ward	...	Luna
Reggie Montgomery	...	Rasta
Christine Claravall	...	Daria
Rose Jackson	...	Lila
Steven Randazzo	...	Pedro
Marisol R. Reyes	...	Sara
Victor L. Cook	...	Louie-Louie
LaTanya Richardson	...	Caseworker
Clayton Prince	...	Frederick
Ellis Williams	...	Bobby

Runtime:

USA:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:K-12 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Juno Pix

Trivia:

Joseph B. Vasquez wrote the script in three days. He originally wrote the part of Vinny for himself to play.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the car crash, the hood of Tommy's car pops up before he hits the wall.

Quotes:

Tom McNeal: I wouldn't dance with you even if you didn't look like a sabertooth tiger. Bitch!

Movie Connections:

References Rain Man (1988)

Soundtrack:

Look the Other Way

Vasquez's lost jewel

I have to agree with Jason's review, Hangin' with the Homeboys is an excellent and extremely funny film.

It is very reminiscent of Spike Lee's early movies in that it has a very personal feel. I noticed that in the end credits Vasquez appears to send a 'shout out' to friends he grew up with who I assume he had lost contact with. I suspect that Vasquez based a number of the characters and incidents in this film on his neighbourhood pals.

The strength of the film is that despite the fact that Vasquez deals with some very important issues, he balances everything perfectly with great expertise. This is not just a comedy (although it is extremely funny), it is also a very intelligent and thought provoking film and it is clear that Vasquez would have had a bright future.

The acting is excellent and despite this being a loud and brash film at times, there are some very subtle moments that will result in you remembering moments from this film weeks later.

This film deserves to be seen and enjoyed by more people.