Film: Red Hook Summer (2012)
Cast includes: Jules Brown, Thomas Jefferson Byrd (Ray), Toni Lysaith, Clarke Peters (The Wire), Nate Parker (Red Tails), Heather Simms (The Nanny Diaries)
Director: Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing)
Genre: Drama (121 minutes)
As the taxi drives through a Red Hook, Brooklyn housing project on the way to #17, Silas (“they call me Flik”) uses his iPad to record everything. Momma’s planning to drop Flik off with her dad and keep on going. The concrete block hallways aren’t very welcoming and the elevator “smells like somebody peed in it… a lot.” But Flik will be in good hands. “Oh yes. God is great,” says Enoch when he sees his teenage grandson for the first time ever. Oh yes… this summer isn’t gonna to be anything like summer in Atlanta! The first thing Flik notices is there’s no TV, so you can imagine how Granddad feels about the iPad… “I don’t want to talk to a box.” “It’s an iPad 2,” says Flik, as if that would make any difference. Enoch… Da Good Bishop… lives and breathes his faith in Jesus and devotion to ‘Lil Peace Of Heaven Baptist Church, where he’s the pastor. And he expects Flik to enthusiastically embrace his faith. Meanwhile Grandfather absolutely ignores the things Flik cares about… such as his vegan diet.
Flik soon meets Sister Sharon and her daughter Chazz. There’s also Deacon Zee, who’s supposed to be getting the church ready for Old Timer’s Day in three weeks. Da Bishop has a vision about a wealthy patron who’s going to come forward and save the little church from their financial difficulties. Deacon Zee may be a hopeless drunk, but if they had listened to him back when he told them to buy GM stock…. Oh well, all Deacon Zee can do now is read the stock reports and weep. “I brought you help, Deacon Zee.” Flik’s summer vacation’s gonna include working at ‘Lil Peace of Heaven. Thankfully, Chazz also spend time at the church, and the teenagers soon become fast friends. While Da Good Bishop preaches about Jesus’s love, Deacon Zee’s got a thing or two to say about what’s really going on in “The Hook.” It’s gonna be a long hot summer.
No matter how much pressure Da Good Bishop exerts, Flik resists coming forward and embracing Jesus the way his grandfather wants. At first, Red Hook Summer feels like a story about a grandfather and grandson finding common ground. But as Spike Lee fans know, it’s a mistake to think you know where his films are going to go. Just when you think you know, the story takes a very different turn. The deceptively simple style of Red Hook Summer feels more like a stage play than a movie, an artistic decision that may not feel right at first… but tends to make more sense by the end. While some moviegoers take issue with Spike Lee’s meandering, unfocused stories… others appreciate the challenge he gives us. He asks us to think about complex and contradictory plot elements that don’t lead to a clear-cut conclusion. “We live in a world of should not be!” says Da Good Bishop. Real life is complicated, and Spike Lee seems to enjoy embracing that complication.
3 popped kernels
Spending the summer with Granddad in Red Hook is total culture shock for a teenager from Atlanta
Popcorn Profile
Rated: R (Language, violence, sexual content)
Audience: Young adults
Distribution: Mainstream limited release
Mood: Sober
Tempo: In no hurry
Visual Style: Unvarnished realism
Character Development: Intense
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Thought provoking
