Description
Crooklyn is a 1994 American semi-autobiographical film produced and directed by Spike Lee and co-written with his sister Joie and brother Cinqué. Occurring in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, during the summer of 1973, the film primarily centers on a young girl named Troy Carmichael (played by Zelda Harris), and her family. Throughout the film, Troy learns life lessons through her rowdy brothers Clinton, Wendell, Nate, and Joseph; her loving but strict mother Carolyn (Alfre Woodard), and her naive, struggling father Woody (Delroy Lindo).
A distinctive characteristic of Crooklyn is its soundtrack, composed completely of music from the 1960s and 1970s, except the hit single "Crooklyn" by the Crooklyn Dodgers, a rap crew consisted of Buckshot, Masta Ace, and Special Ed. A two-volume release of the soundtrack became available on CD alongside the release of the film.
Similarly to his past films such as School Daze , Do the Right Thing , and She's Gotta Have It , Spike Lee appears in Crooklyn , playing a young glue huffer named Snuffy, who likes to bully the local children.
Crooklyn is the second of only two films directed by Spike Lee to earn a PG-13 rating in the United States, alongside Malcolm X.
23 years later, New Yorkers selected the film for simultaneous screenings across New York City as part of the 2017 One Film, One New York contest.
