The Wood (1999)

Director:

Rick Famuyiwa

Writers:

Rick Famuyiwa (story) and
Todd Boyd (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 July 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

From boyhood to manhood, you can always count on your best friends.

Plot:

While dealing with a friend's cold feet on his wedding day, a writer reminisces about his youth with his best friends.

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Friendship | Flashback | Dance | Coming Of Age

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Elayn Taylor	...	Roland's Mother
Omar Epps	...	Mike
Richard T. Jones	...	Slim
Sean Nelson	...	Young Mike
Duane Finley	...	Young Slim
Trent Cameron	...	Young Roland
Malinda Williams	...	Young Alicia
Patricia Belcher	...	Mrs. Hughes
Taye Diggs	...	Roland
Tamala Jones	...	Tanya
De'aundre Bonds	...	Stacey (as De'Aundre Bonds)
Cynthia Martells	...	Mike's Mother
Wyking Jones	...	Cashiers in Mini Mart
Geoffrey Blackshire	...	Cashiers in Mini Mart
Jascha Washington	...	Mike's Brother
Aiysha Sinclair	...	Tracey
Melvin Lyons	...	Gang member
Sam Hiona	...	Cashier in mini-mart 1986 (as Samuel Hiona)
Antwon Tanner	...	Boo
John Wesley	...	Police Officers
Oscar Dillon	...	Police Officers
Tia Gainer	...	Girl at Dance
Howard Thompson	...	D.J. at Dance
Douglas Shamburger	...	D.J. on Radio
Brandi Wilson	...	Girls at Dance
Christina Milian	...	Girls at Dance
Dawnn Lewis	...	Woman in Cleaners
Crystal Celeste Grant	...	Girl with Slim (as Crystal Grant)
La'Myia Good	...	Monica
Alecia Smith	...	Girl with Roland
Kongit Farrell	...	Girl with Slim
Stacy Arnell	...	Woman with Stacey (as Stacey Arnell)
Telma Hopkins	...	Slim's Mother
LisaRaye	...	Lisa (as Lisaraye)
Basil Wallace	...	Lisa's Father
Sanaa Lathan	...	Alicia
Todd Boyd	...	Reverend Parker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jaysea Gari	...	Tanisha (uncredited)
Nayo Wallace	...	Girl In School Hallway (uncredited)

Directed by
Rick Famuyiwa

Writing credits
Rick Famuyiwa		(story) and
Todd Boyd		(story)
Rick Famuyiwa		(screenplay)

Produced by
Albert Berger	....	producer
Todd Boyd	....	associate producer
Douglas Curtis	....	co-producer
David Gale	....	producer
Momita Sengupta	....	associate producer
Van Toffler	....	executive producer
Ron Yerxa	....	producer

Original Music by
Robert Hurst

Cinematography by
Steven Bernstein		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Carter

Casting by
Mali Finn
Emily Schweber

Production Design by
Roger G. Fortune		(as Roger Fortune)
Maxine Shepard

Art Direction by
Richard Haase

Set Decoration by
Fontaine Beauchamp Hebb		(as F. Beauchamp Hebb)
David Smith

Costume Design by
Darryle Johnson

Makeup Department
Kali Balugo	....	makeup artist
Leonard Drake	....	supervising hair stylist
Warren Lewis	....	hair stylist
Robert C. Mathews III	....	hair stylist (as Robert Matthews)
Edna Sheen	....	makeup artist (as Edna M. Sheen)
JoAnn Stafford-Chaney	....	supervising hair stylist (as Joann Stafford-Chaney)
Joanetta Stowers	....	key makeup artist
Laini Thompson	....	supervising makeup artist
Felicia Herron	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Douglas Curtis	....	unit production manager
Bob Johnston	....	production supervisor
Lisa Rodgers	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Seth Edelstein	....	second assistant director
Rosemarie Unite	....	second second assistant director
Don Wilkerson	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Kasia Adamik	....	storyboard artist
Craig Baron	....	set dresser (as Craig R. Baron)
Maike Both	....	set dresser
Elizabeth Colomba	....	storyboard artist
Mark Cowley	....	lead person
Amina Allean Dieye	....	art department coordinator
Ronald Elmer	....	drapery foreperson (as Ron Elmer)
Greg J. Gregath	....	propmaker
Petra A. Gugler	....	painter
Ross Harpold	....	set dresser
Dervon 'Von' Herron	....	assistant property master (as Von Herron)
Jimmie Herron Jr.	....	property master
Germaine Hill	....	art department coordinator
Eric Ingraham	....	propmaker (as Eric Ingraham 'The Kid')
Mark A. Mancinelli	....	plaster foreperson
Masako Masuda	....	set designer
Michael Messina	....	propmaker foreperson (as Michael F. Messina)
Gabriel Olguin	....	propmaker (as Gabriel Holguin)
Josh Persoff	....	on-set dresser
Philip Prewitt	....	propmaker (as Phillip T. Prewett)
Donald C. Riley	....	set dresser
Ruben Rojo	....	labor foreperson
Brett Shannon	....	paint foreperson
Ben Shoemaker	....	painter
Mike Swift	....	storyboard artist
Mark Vitale	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Willy Allen	....	adr editor
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist
Walter Anderson	....	sound mixer (as Walter P. Anderson)
Dwayne Avery	....	dialogue editor
Bobbi Banks	....	supervising adr editor
Thor Benitez	....	adr recordist
Matthew C. Beville	....	adr mixer
Greg Hedgepath	....	supervising sound editor (as Gregory Hedgepath)
Stanley Kastner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Shawn Kennelly	....	adr recordist
Derek Marcil	....	sound re-recording mixer
Charles Maynes	....	sound effects editor
Anthony M. McCovey	....	sound utility (as Tony McCovey)
Michael A. Patillo	....	boom operator (as Michael Patillo)
Andre Perreault	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andy Potvin	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Karin Roulo	....	foley mixer
Douglas Shamburger	....	sound utility
David E. Stone	....	foley editor
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Linda Yeaney	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Jeffrey Knott	....	special effects assistant (as Jeffrey D. Knott)
Jeffrey Machit	....	special effects assistant (as Jeffrey C. Machit)
R. Bruce Steinheimer	....	special effects coordinator (as Bruce Steinheimer)

Visual Effects by
Scott Billups	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Eddie L. Watkins	....	stunt coordinator (as Eddie Watkins)

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric S. Adamson	....	electrician
Dale Balani	....	electrician
Joseph E. Bates	....	grip
Noah Behar	....	grip
Kevin Celi	....	film loader
Michael Ferris	....	camera operator
Kirk R. Gardner	....	Steadicam operator
Nicola Goode	....	still photographer
Dennis Harper	....	dolly grip
Twan Herron	....	electrician
Paul Horn	....	second assistant camera
Richard James Hughes	....	second assistant camera (as Richie Hughes)
Kurt Jones	....	second assistant camera
Richard Lacy	....	first assistant camera
Greg Lopez	....	assistant chief lighting technician
David Maddux	....	chief lighting technician (as Dave Maddux)
Dave Mendez	....	grip
Robert W. Morgenroth	....	video playback operator (as Robert Morgenroth)
Arthur Najera	....	grip (as Arthur M. Najera)
Tony Patterson	....	video playback operator (as Luis A. Patterson)
Boris Price	....	second assistant camera
Randy Tambling	....	first company grip (as Randal Tambling)
Paige Thomas	....	first assistant camera
Thomas D. Wazney	....	second company grip
Justin Webber	....	second assistant camera
Jeff Wilde	....	electrician

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Maureen Whalen	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bernie White	....	chief costumer
Sharlene Williams	....	costume supervisor (as Shirlene Williams)

Editorial Department
Babette Dickerson	....	first assistant editor
Martha Anne Francis	....	assistant editor (as Martha Francis)
Jim Passon	....	color timer
DeNon Porter	....	assistant editor
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
Dirk Westervelt	....	additional editor

Music Department
Jay Bolton	....	music editor
Camara Kambon	....	composer: additional music
Pilar McCurry	....	music supervisor
Jonathan McHugh	....	soundtrack executive: Jive Records
Michael T. Ryan	....	music editor
Melodee Sutton	....	co-music supervisor
Robert J. Walsh	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Dennis Hollis	....	transportation captain (as Dennis H. Hollis)
James 'Obee' Oberman	....	transportation coordinator
Alex Connaughton	....	driver: honeywagon (uncredited)

Other crew
Rashied Aljuwani	....	craft service
Jeremy Alter	....	location manager
Kimberly Bailey	....	adr loop group
Jason Buff	....	production assistant
Cassandra Butcher	....	unit publicist (as Cassandra Ora Butcher)
Lanei Chapman	....	adr loop group
Sal Circelli	....	production assistant
Stanley Bennett Clay	....	adr loop group
Jeff Coopwood	....	adr loop group
Troy Craig Poon	....	production liaison
Nikki Crawford	....	adr loop group
Nicole Cummins	....	script supervisor
Kathy Cyrus	....	studio teacher
Michelle Davison	....	adr loop group
Trey Davis	....	adr loop group
Tad Driscoll	....	accountant
Larry Ewing	....	assistant production coordinator
Rhoda Fine	....	studio teacher (as Rhonda C. Fine)
O. Thaddeus Frazier	....	production assistant
Joanne Guthrie	....	production assistant
Barbara Harris	....	adr loop group (as Barbara Iley)
George Patrick Hernandez	....	assistant: Mr. Cohen
John Keel	....	assistant production coordinator (as John Brooks Keel)
Stuart Kelly	....	production assistant
Mark Christopher Lawrence	....	adr loop group
Ryan Lichterman	....	production assistant
Tina Lifford	....	adr loop group
Patrick Malone	....	adr loop group
Carl Mastromarino	....	assistant production accountant
Terence Mathews	....	adr loop group
Richard McGregor	....	adr loop group (as Richard Macgregor)
Sandra McNeil	....	studio teacher
Darin Mercado	....	location assistant
Victor Ortado	....	assistant production accountant
Anton Pardoe	....	assistant location manager (as Anton Yossarian Pardoe)
J. Lamont Pope	....	adr loop group
Christy Powers	....	set medic (as Christy 'Crash' Powers)
Irwin M. Rappaport	....	production attorney (as Irwin M. Rappaport Esq.)
Eduardo Ricketts Jr.	....	location assistant (as Eduardo 'Charlie' Ricketts)
Fitzgerald Scott	....	production assistant
Jennifer Scott	....	production coordinator
Jossie Thacker	....	choreographer (as Jossie Harris Thacker)
Amelia Wong	....	assistant: Mr. Famuyiwa (as Amelia S. Wong)
Jay Floyd	....	clearance administrator (uncredited)
Stephen A. Marinaccio II	....	assistant production coordinator (uncredited)
Dan Riley	....	legal assistant (uncredited)
Carla Swanson	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bona Fide Productions
• MTV Films

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Paramount Network (UPN) (2002) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Argentina)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (France)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Sundance Institute, The  miscellaneous assistance (developed with the assistance of)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and some strong sexuality.

Runtime:

106 min | Germany:102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Iceland:12 | Norway:15 (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | France:U | Germany:12 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Inglewood, California, USA

Company:

Bona Fide Productions

Trivia:

In a recent visit to USC, his alma mater, Rick Famuyiwa revealed that Paramount executives wanted the character of Mike to pinch Alicia's buttocks in the end scene for added laughs. Needless to say, Famuyiwa balked at this and never shot this. The opening Steadicam shot took almost an entire day to shoot.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Mike is helping escort Roland from Tanya's apartment he is also holding a coffee mug. When he turns around to say something to Tanya he's all of a sudden holding the coffee pot instead.

Quotes:

Young Slim: Ms. Hughes, what page fifteen on?

Movie Connections:

References "Dance Fever" (1979)

Soundtrack:

Make the Music with your Mouth Biz

Light and low on plot but an enjoyable little film with charm

Three hours before his wedding and Roland is nowhere to be found. His best friends, Mike and Slim, are both stressed trying to work out where they could be when they both get pages from his ex-girlfriend. They go to her house to find him drunk and experiencing doubts. As they drive around, sober him up and dry clean their suits for the wedding, they take time to uncover why he has doubts and also take a trip down memory lane and where they grew up in Inglewood.

Having seen several films on the trot where race is used to `comic' effect in a string of endless racist jokes it was refreshing to sit and watch a film where the cast were almost 100% black but the story was not told in relation to the colour of it's characters. Instead the story is a straight story of childhood memories and it could easily have been any culture telling it. Of course there is a thread of black culture running through the film but it is simply there as opposed to being the focus.

The story is slight and not totally together but it is interesting. The reasons for Roland's doubts are not made totally clear by the end of the film and there is a suggestion that it is really just a frame for the memories to occur within. This isn't too bad as the memories are really more of the story than the modern day trigger is. Both strands work quite well as long as you don't expect too much, it has a gentle humour that is pleasant and enjoyable and both strands seem to be able to carry it. The `to-camera' narration was a bit of a risk that I thought it didn't totally carry off but, happily, after the first 10 minutes it is pretty much absent for the rest of the film. Some of the strands don't totally come to a close and the fact that the main plot (Roland going missing on his wedding day) is mostly a side issue is a distraction but not to a detrimental point.

The cast are all pretty good. Epps is a good lead and is a likeable character. Diggs is good looking but he doesn't act as well as he can for much of the movie – his `drunk' acting is pretty poor although he gets better as he sobers up. Jones is a bit of a comedy figure but does his job well despite being the least developed of the three. The teenage actors all carry themselves well, although in this modern tabloid world of hysteria it is a little uncomfortable to watch two young teenagers have sex (although I was relieved to find that the sexy one of them, Malinda Williams, was actually 24 when she played a 14 year old). The women are all very good looking but have lesser roles as the males take the meat of the story – Tamala Jones is good and Epps' co-star from Love & Basketball (Sanaa Lathan) joins him for a brief role.

Overall it is a very light film that has a plot in a very basic sense but is really more of a nostalgic trip down the teenage years that is told with honesty and humour. It may not resemble any life I ever had but there were themes I could relate to. Slight but fun and, after seeing National Security, Undercover Brother and Bringing Down the House (where race is used for humour, rather than being a side issue) The Wood was also a breath of fresh air.