Title: The Wood (1999)
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Duration: 1h 46m
Cast: Omar Epps, Richard T. Jones, Taye Diggs, Tamala Jones, Sanaa Lathan, Duane Finley
It had to be something in the air towards the end of the 1990s that made films like The Best Man and The Wood possible. The fact that two of the best romantic dramas in black film history came in the same year 1999 is something that cannot be chalked to a coincidence. It would seem that all the experimentation that happened earlier in the decade finally paid off as the formula was finally cracked even if it was towards the end of the century and millennium.
Whether The Wood is the better film or The Best Man will continue to be a topic that will never be resolved because while both of them have elements that make them different, they’re at heart the same movies.
The Wood, for me, takes an edge though because of the coming-of-age element that makes the movie even more enjoyable than most romantic flicks. A film that utilizes flashbacks just as good as The Godfather Part 2, there’s not much of this around anymore.
The film follows three friends, one of whom is getting married but develops cold feet on his wedding day. As the two friends look for him and try to convince him to proceed with the wedding as planned, they begin to reminisce about the old times from how they became friends to all of their escapades.
Told from the perspective of Mike (Omar Epps), whose mother moved to Inglewood, California (aka The Wood) when he was a teenager and who became friends with Roland (Taye Diggs) and Slim (Richard T. Jones). Mike was the sole voice of reason in the group then and now. Slim is the street-smart one while Roland is the player type who’s always out to get girls. Roland, ironically, is the one getting married, and with his reputation, it’s no surprise he gets cold feet anyway.
The boys go through the bittersweet memories of growing up together in the Wood as they discuss through and analyze their lives, all leading up to the final decision that Roland should get married as planned. This makes for the perfect romance movie and its 1h 46m runtime is just on-brand for this kind of movie.
Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, the film went on to gross $25m, not as much as The Best Man’s $35m gross but still if there’s ever a comparison, The Wood will no doubt hold its own. Perhaps the best black romance film ever? Do I dare say?
Rotten Tomatoes: 61%
IMDb: 7/10
Letterboxd: 3.5/5
Where to Watch The Wood (1999) ?
You can be able to stream The Wood (1999) by renting or purchasing on
- Apple TV
- Google Play Movies
- Vudu
- Netflix
