Crooklyn (DVD)

From Spike Lee, the legendary director of Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, Clockers and BlacKkKlansman, comes this vibrant semi-autobiographical portrait of a school teacher, her stubborn jazz musician husband and their five kids living in Brooklyn in 1973. Make yourself at home with the Carmichael family as they experience one very special summer in their Brooklyn neighborhood that they’ve affectionately nicknamed Crooklyn. Lee fashions a bold, flavorful picture of family life starring the wonderful Alfre Woodard as Carolyn, a loving, but fiercely independent mother who, along with her musician husband Woody (Delroy Lindo), struggles to raise their family in difficult but often wonderful circumstances. Complemented by an energizing, vintage R&B soundtrack, this tender and colorful film was beautifully shot by Arthur Jafa (Daughters of the Dust). The strong supporting cast includes Spike Lee, David Patrick Kelly, Zelda Harris, Isaiah Washington, Jose Zúñiga and Vondie Curtis-Hall.