The Wood (1999)

Written by Rick Famuyiwa, Todd Boyd

Directed by Rick Famuyiwa

Production Year: 1999

Rating: 15 Certificate

Production Country: USA

Filmed in Colour

Rick Famuyiwa's comedy/drama stars Taye Diggs, Richard T. Jones and Omar Epps, seen meeting up on Digg's wedding day. Or rather, not meeting up - he's done a runner but his friends track him down and as they try to give him the courage to make it to the wedding. Their stories are recounted from their youth in the 80s, when they met at high school and follows them through their rites-of-passage - dating, getting involved in a store robbery by mistake, getting their first jobs. Famuyiwa's debut movie, following three black middle class teenagers, has a certain charm and the three leads are ably supported by a cast including Malinda Williams as the cutest girl in school and Tamal Jones as the ex-girlfriend Diggs seeks refuge with in the Wood rather than the Hood.

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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
Cynthia Martells		Mike's Mother
Wyking Jones		Cashiers in Mini Mart
Geoffrey Blackshire		Cashiers in Mini Mart
Jascha Washington		Mike's Brother