Editing Baby Boy (film)

{{short description|2001 film directed by John Singleton}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Baby Boy
| image          = Baby boy theatrical poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[John Singleton]]
| producer       = John Singleton
| writer         = John Singleton
| starring       = [[Tyrese Gibson]]<br/>[[Snoop Dogg]]<br/>[[Ving Rhames]]<br/>[[Omar Gooding]]<br/>[[Adrienne-Joi Johnson|A.J. Johnson]]<br>[[Taraji P. Henson]]
| music          = [[David Arnold]]
| cinematography = Charles Mills
| editing        = Bruce Cannon
| studio         = [[Columbia Pictures]]<ref name="afi">{{cite web|title=Baby Boy (2001)|website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|access-date=13 June 2023|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/61945-BABY-BOY?sid=b439cd1c-e71e-4505-b304-ed8b7bea8287&sr=6.301212&cp=25&pos=0|archive-date=13 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230613050557/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/61945-BABY-BOY?sid=b439cd1c-e71e-4505-b304-ed8b7bea8287&sr=6.301212&cp=25&pos=0|url-status=live}}</ref>
| distributor    = [[Sony Pictures Releasing]]<ref name="afi"/>
| released       = {{Film date|2001|6|27}}
| runtime        = 130 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 129:55--><ref>{{Citation|last=Singleton|first=John|title=Baby Boy|date=2001-06-27|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0255819/|type=Crime, Drama, Romance|publisher=Columbia Pictures, New Deal Productions|access-date=2021-10-17|archive-date=2021-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017101141/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0255819/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $16 million<ref name="mojo">{{Cite web|title=Baby Boy|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl4556289/|access-date=2021-10-17|website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref><ref name="numbers">{{Cite web|title=Baby Boy (2001) - Financial Information|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Baby-Boy|access-date=2021-10-17|website=The Numbers|archive-date=2021-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017101521/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Baby-Boy|url-status=live}}box office data</ref>
| gross          = $29.3 million <ref name="mojo" />
}}

'''''Baby Boy''''' is a 2001 American [[coming-of-age story|coming-of-age]] [[hood film|hood]] [[drama film]] directed, written and produced by [[John Singleton]], and starring [[Tyrese Gibson]], [[Snoop Dogg]], [[Ving Rhames]], [[Omar Gooding]], [[Adrienne-Joi Johnson|A.J. Johnson]] and [[Taraji P. Henson]].<ref name=IMDb>{{cite web|title=Baby Boy (2001)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0255819/|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]]|access-date=16 April 2012|archive-date=11 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411210923/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0255819/|url-status=live}}</ref> The film follows Joseph "Jody" Summers (Gibson), a 20-year-old bike mechanic as he lives and learns in his everyday life in the [[Ghetto|hood]] of [[Los Angeles]].

The film was originally written with rapper-actor [[Tupac Shakur]] in mind to play Jody; Shakur had previously worked with Singleton on ''[[Poetic Justice (film)|Poetic Justice]]''. However, following Shakur's [[Murder of Tupac Shakur|murder in 1996]], Singleton decided to replace Shakur with R&B artist [[Tyrese Gibson]]. Additionally, the role of Rodney was originally written for [[Ice Cube]], who had worked with Singleton on ''[[Boyz n the Hood]]'' and ''[[Higher Learning]]''. The film marked the feature acting debut of Gibson and provided Henson with her first prominent role.

Released in the United States on June 27, 2001, the film received predominantly positive reviews from critics and audiences, with many deeming it as Singleton's best film since ''Boyz n the Hood''. The film is also the final feature film written by Singleton as he did not write any of his later feature-length directorial projects before his death in April 2019.

==Plot==
Joseph "Jody" Summers waits for his girlfriend Yvette at an [[abortion clinic]] after compelling her to go. They then have a heated argument about his lack of commitment and selfishness; she asks him if he will ever come live with her and their son JoJo, but he deliberately avoids the subject and comes and goes as he pleases.

Meanwhile, Jody also continues having affairs with other women, including a young girl named Peanut, with whom he also has a daughter, Lil' Nut. Jody also nearly has sex with Pandora, Yvette's colleague and co-worker, but manages to rebuff her advances. When Yvette discovers his cheating, their ensuing argument eventually turns physical, culminating in her kicking him out of her home.

Yvette's gangster ex-boyfriend Rodney is released from [[San Quentin State Prison]] and returns to the neighborhood to move in with Yvette. However, Rodney does not care for JoJo and wants to impregnate Yvette himself, but when Rodney attempts to rape Yvette in front of her son, he stops himself out of guilt. Despite their previous issues, Yvette begins to realize she still loves Jody.

Jody’s mother Juanita finds [[marijuana]] in her garden and blames him, who then angrily blames her new boyfriend Melvin, an ex-convict. Melvin comes home, admits to Juanita that he planted it and apologizes. An upset Jody argues with his mother before getting into an argument with Melvin, which ends with Melvin punching him and breaking a table.

Frustrated, Jody leaves the house to see his friend Sweetpea. Soon after, Yvette kicks Rodney and his friends out of her apartment. Eventually, Yvette and Jody reconcile at Sweetpea's house, and Yvette tells Jody about how Rodney tried to rape her in front of JoJo. Rodney then steals Yvette’s money and keys from her wallet and drives off in her car to go and find Jody, whom he unsuccessfully tries to kill in a drive-by shooting.

Later that night, Jody and Sweetpea confront Rodney, and as he attempts to escape, Jody shoots him in the back of his legs. Sweetpea urges Jody to kill Rodney, but he refuses, and so Sweetpea shoots and kills Rodney himself with four shots. Horrified by Rodney's death, Jody prepares to commit [[suicide]] by shooting himself in the head, but Melvin stops him before taking the gun. After reflecting on Rodney's death and how his absence endangered her and JoJo, Jody finally decides to move in with Yvette.

Jody then accepts that Juanita's relationship with Melvin is stable, and that he needs to protect and care for his own family. Afterward, Jody and Yvette get married and look forward to the birth of their unborn child. Meanwhile, Sweetpea decides to get baptized and abandon his old life as a criminal.

==Cast==
* [[Tyrese Gibson]] as Joseph "Jody" Summers 
* [[Snoop Dogg]] as Rodney, Yvette's ex-boyfriend
* [[Ving Rhames]] as Melvin, Juanita's ex-con boyfriend
* [[Taraji P. Henson]] as Yvette, Jody's girlfriend
* [[Omar Gooding]] as Sweetpea "Pea", Jody's friend
* [[Adrienne-Joi Johnson]] as Juanita, Jody's mother
* [[Mo'Nique]] as Patrice, Juanita's best friend
* [[Angell Conwell]] as Kim, Sweetpea's girlfriend
* [[Tamara Bass|Tamara LaSeon Bass]] as Peanut, the mother of Jody's daughter Lil' Nut
* [[Candy Ann Brown]] as Ms. Herron, Peanut's mother
* Tawny Dahl as Pandora, Yvette‘s scandalous co-worker
* [[Big Tray Deee]] as Knucklehead #1
* [[Goldie Loc]] as Knucklehead #2

Singleton makes an uncredited cameo as a bootlegger who attempts to sell pirated DVDs to Jody and Sweetpea, while his mother Sheila Ward plays a mourner in the dream sequence where Jody sees himself at his funeral. Additionally, his daughter Cleopatra Singleton appears in the beginning of the film as Lil' Nut, Jody's daughter with Peanut.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Elder|first=Robert K.|title=BABY BOY'S BIG DADDY|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2001-06-27-0106260372-story.html|date=27 June 2001|access-date=2022-12-01|website=South Florida Sun-Sentinel}}</ref>

== Reception ==

===Box office===
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $8,606,403 in 1,533 theaters in the United States, averaging $5,614 per theater, and ranking #5 at the [[box office]]. It grossed a total of $28,734,552 domestically and $647,097 elsewhere for a total of $29,381,649, above its $16 million production budget.<ref name="mojo" />

===Critical response===
''Baby Boy'' received positive reviews from critics and has a rating of 72% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 93 reviews with an average score of 6.2/10. The consensus states: "Preachy and repetitive in parts, ''Baby Boy'' still manages to exude authenticity, thanks to its competent cast."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Baby Boy (2001)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/baby_boy|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> The film also has a score of 55 out of 100 on [[Metacritic]] based on 26 critics indicating 'Mixed or average reviews'.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Baby Boy (2001)|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/baby-boy|website=Metacritic}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film 3½ stars out of 4, and stated in his review: "''Baby Boy'' is a bold criticism of young black men who carelessly father babies, live off their mothers and don't even think of looking for work. It is also a criticism of the society that pushes them into that niche. There has never been a movie with this angle on the African-American experience" and "[it] doesn't fall back on easy liberal finger-pointing. There are no white people in this movie, no simplistic blaming of others; the adults in Jody's life blame him for his own troubles, and they should."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|title=Baby Boy movie review & film summary (2001) {{!}} Roger Ebert|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/baby-boy-2001|access-date=2021-10-17|website=rogerebert.com|language=en|archive-date=2021-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017101132/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/baby-boy-2001|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Kenneth Turan]], film critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'', praised the film for being "...Compelling.... heartfelt and personal..." Jonathan Rosenbaum of ''Chicago Reader'' also liked the film, stating: "Like John Singleton's other features, this is far from flawless.... But the characters are so full-bodied and the feelings so raw and complex that I'd call this the best thing he's done to date..."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/baby-boy/Film?oid=1049677|title=Baby Boy|last=Rosenbaum|first=Jonathan|website=Chicago Reader|date=26 October 1985|access-date=2016-10-01|archive-date=2017-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201200435/https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/baby-boy/Film?oid=1049677|url-status=live}}</ref>

The film ultimately received ten nominations at the [[Black Reel Awards of 2002]], including [[Black Reel Award for Outstanding Film|Outstanding Film]], and three nominations at 2002 [[NAACP Image Awards]], including [[NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture|Outstanding Motion Picture]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Baby Boy - IMDb - Awards|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0255819/awards|access-date=2021-10-17}}</ref> The film was also screened at the 2001 [[Locarno International Film Festival]] in competition for the [[Golden Leopard]], and would receive a 'Special Mention' from the jury for "For its innovative concept and ensemble acting."<ref>{{Cite web|title=2001|url=https://www.locarnofestival.ch/en/LFF/about/the-festival/palmares/2001|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017103831/https://www.locarnofestival.ch/LFF/about/the-festival/palmares/2001.html|archive-date=2021-10-17|access-date=2021-10-17|website=Locarno Film Festival|language=en}}</ref>

Director John Singleton was very proud of the movie: "It was just soulful, I made a movie that I wanted to be as soulful as a Marvin Gaye record. That was my goal for better or worse. Not necessarily a perfect film, but just something that you watch, it’s memorable. That’s what I love about that movie."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/john-singleton-says-studios-aint-690486/|title=John Singleton Says Studios 'Ain't Letting Black People Tell Stories,' Unveils Tupac Biopic Plans (Video)|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=24 March 2014|access-date=2 April 2022|archive-date=25 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125033727/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/john-singleton-says-studios-aint-690486/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name       = Baby Boy: Music From the Motion Picture
| type       = soundtrack
| artist     = Various artists
| cover      =
| alt        =
| released   = June 19, 2001
| recorded   = 2000–2001
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Gangsta rap]]<br>[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]
| length     =
| label      = [[Universal Records (1995)|Universal Records]]
| producer   = [[Battlecat (producer)|Battlecat]]<br>[[Mannie Fresh]]<br>Mark Sparks<br>James Poyser<br>[[D'Angelo]]<br>Chris Liggio
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Baby Boy: Music From the Motion Picture
 | type        = soundtrack
 | single1     = [[Just a Baby Boy]]
 | single1date = June 2001
}}
}}

{{Music ratings
| rev1      = [[Allmusic]]
| rev1Score = {{rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r537997}}</ref>
}}
A soundtrack containing hip-hop and R&B music was released by [[Universal Records (1995)|Universal Records]] on June 19, 2001. It peaked at #41 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], #12 on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] and #5 on the [[Top Soundtracks]], and spawned one charting single, "[[Just a Baby Boy]]", performed by [[Snoop Dogg]] featuring [[Tyrese Gibson|Tyrese]] & Mr. Tan, which made it to #90 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and #40 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks]]. The soundtrack contains interludes which are sound clips from the film. An album of the film's score, by British composer [[David Arnold]], was released by [[Varese Sarabande]].

#"[[Summer Madness (instrumental)|The Womb (Intro)]]"- 1:14 ([[Tyrese Gibson|Tyrese]])
#"[[Just a Baby Boy]]"- 4:16 ([[Snoop Dogg]] featuring Tyrese & Mr. Tan) 
#"Just a Man"- 3:59 ([[Raphael Saadiq]] featuring [[Devin the Dude]])
#"Focus (Interlude)"- :22 (Tyrese & [[Taraji P. Henson]])
#"Baby Mama"- 4:44 ([[Three 6 Mafia]] featuring [[La Chat]]) 
#"Talk Shit 2 Ya"- 4:35 ([[D'Angelo]] featuring Marlon C) 
#"I'd Rather Be With You"- 4:55 ([[Bootsy Collins]]) 
#"You"- 4:45 (Felicia Adams) 
#"Jody Meets Rodney (Interlude)"- :30 (Tyrese & Snoop Dogg) 
#"Crip Hop"- 5:03 ([[Tha Eastsidaz]] featuring Snoop Dogg) 
#"Thatshowegetdown"- 4:17 ([[B.G. (rapper)|B.G.]] featuring [[Birdman (rapper)|Baby]] & Lac) 
#"Guns and Butter (Interlude)"- :30 ([[Ving Rhames]]) 
#"We Keep It G"- 4:44 (Lost Angels) 
#"Eat Sleep Think"- 3:36 (Connie McKendrick) 
#"[[Just to Keep You Satisfied]]"- 4:24 ([[Marvin Gaye]])
#"I Hate You (Interlude)"- :41 (Tyrese & Taraji P. Henson) 
#"Love & War"- 5:21 ([[Anthony Hamilton (musician)|Anthony Hamilton]] featuring [[Macy Gray]])
#"Straight Fucking"- 4:59 (The Transitions featuring Gator)
#"Baby Boy"- 4:30 (Felicia Adams)

== See also ==
* [[List of hood films]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/babyboy/}}
* {{IMDb title|0255819}}

{{John Singleton}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baby Boy}}
[[Category:2001 films]]
[[Category:2001 crime drama films]]
[[Category:2000s hip-hop films]]
[[Category:2000s coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:2000s buddy drama films]]
[[Category:American coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films scored by David Arnold]]
[[Category:Films directed by John Singleton]]
[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:2000s hood films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by John Singleton]]
[[Category:African-American films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:American buddy drama films]]
[[Category:Films about dysfunctional families]]
[[Category:Films about mother–son relationships]]
[[Category:African-American drama films]]
[[Category:Teenage pregnancy in film]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:English-language buddy drama films]]
[[Category:English-language musical films]]
[[Category:2001 musical films]]