Vermont poet Rajnii Eddins presents one of Spike Lee’s finest films, a vibrant, semi-autobiographical portrait of a school teacher, her stubborn jazz musician husband, and their five kids living in Brooklyn in 1973. Blessed with a fabulous soundtrack of great R&B hits from that era, and alive with Lee’s often-experimental visual sense, the film buzzes with the energy of youth.
Lee wrote the film along with siblings Joie and Clinqué—in fact, the two siblings originally pitched Crooklyn to Nickelodeon as a TV series, but the kids at a test-screening gave it a thumbs down—and the film reflects their own upbringing. The action is seen through the eyes of the youngest daughter, Troy (Zelda Harris), as she deals with some major life changes amid her lively, tumultuous household and neighborhood.
After his deep involvement in the epic Malcolm X, Lee was looking for a project a little lighter in tone. Crooklyn is that, for sure, but the film is often lazily labeled a “comedy,” when there is actually a good bit of dramatic heft here. As the original Washington Post review put it: “Modulating from heavy to light, from angry to lyrical, and so on, the movie’s an enjoyable, emotional symphony.”
The kids are fabulous, and both Delroy Lindo and Alfre Woodard shine as the somewhat mismatched parents.
PROGRAMMER: RAJNII EDDINS
Originally from Seattle, Washington, spoken-word poet/emcee and teaching artist Rajnii Eddins has been engaging diverse community audiences for over 30 years. He was the youngest member of the Afrikan American Writers Alliance at age 11, and has been actively sharing with youth and community in Vermont since 2010.
Rajnii’s diverse talents and passions allow him to offer a wide variety of powerful experiences that foster connection, learning, and mutual growth. He thrives at creating spaces that are educational, explorative, and celebratory, whether in a classroom, a conference hall, a community center, or online.