First time I've seen it in what feels like twenty years and it's not holding up too well. The first half, especially, feels too cute and cuddly for a realistic, coming of age film set in Chicago's extremely grim Cabrini Green housing projects in the Kennedy 60s. Eric Monte's dialogue and Michael Schultz's direction too often resemble so so sit com, centered as they are around various pranks and comic misadventures Cochise, Preach and his pals engage in, a couple of which are mildly amusing, like the school ditching scheme and the car chase, and others of which range from the sophomoric (gorilla defecation and its aftermath) to the downright offensive (Cochise and Preach harassing and scamming sex workers).
In the second half Monte and Schultz find the proper balance between light and dark and, as a result, the denouement, though telegraphed, is powerful and affecting. Could have done without Preach's bathetic graveside eulogy, though (something that only a very few film makers, like, say, John Ford, can get away with). Come to think of it, I could have done with less of Preach, period. Writer stand in characters in films are usually a bore and Preach is no exception. I also wearied of the too old, nervous, twitchy actor who plays him, Glyn Turman. Conversely, I wish there had been more of Cochise and the more relaxed but compelling performance of Lawrence Hilton Jacobs. And I definitely would have jettisoned the cliche deux ex machina of Garrett Morris' caring, wise high school teacher. Give it a C plus.
In the second half Monte and Schultz find the proper balance between light and dark and, as a result, the denouement, though telegraphed, is powerful and affecting. Could have done without Preach's bathetic graveside eulogy, though (something that only a very few film makers, like, say, John Ford, can get away with). Come to think of it, I could have done with less of Preach, period. Writer stand in characters in films are usually a bore and Preach is no exception. I also wearied of the too old, nervous, twitchy actor who plays him, Glyn Turman. Conversely, I wish there had been more of Cochise and the more relaxed but compelling performance of Lawrence Hilton Jacobs. And I definitely would have jettisoned the cliche deux ex machina of Garrett Morris' caring, wise high school teacher. Give it a C plus.