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Crooklyn Details

1994 Certificate 18
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 276 members

From Spike Lee comes this vibrant semi-autobiographical portrait of a school-teacher, her stubborn jazz-musician husband and their five kids living in '70s Brooklyn. Read more

Starring Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo
Director Spike Lee
Genres Comedy, Drama

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Crooklyn

From Spike Lee comes this vibrant semi-autobiographical portrait of a school-teacher, her stubborn jazz-musician husband and their five kids living in '70s Brooklyn.

Starring Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo
Director Spike Lee
Run time DVD: 1 hr 49 mins
Certificate Certificate 18
Genres Comedy, Drama
Language DVD: English
Released DVD: 23 Feb 2000
Production year: 1994
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (2) of Crooklyn

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    An African-American family living in 1970s Brooklyn struggles to recover from the racial turmoil of the 1960s in this semi-autobiographical tale inspired by director Spike Lee's youth. Alfre Woodard and Delroy Lindo are excellent as the middle-class Carmichaels, whose household is a reflection of the outside tensions tearing at the fabric of society. While not as confrontational as Lee's other films, Crooklyn still suffers slightly from the director's choppy narrative style. That said, this nostalgic look at an important period in the history of race relations is a sure and mature work, while the soundtrack of nonstop R 'n' B hits is superb.

    • Radio Times
  • This semi-comic look at middle-class family life in Brooklyn, New York, in the mid-'70s was written by Spike Lee and... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
  • Most helpful member's review of Crooklyn

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  • 9 out of 10 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Hidden Gem

    This surprisingly unknown Spike Lee flick is one of his best, with a suprisingly more upbeat mood compared to the majority of his work (still with the inevitable un-hollywood ending of Lee's films). It tells the story of a family in Brooklyn during the 70's, with rich characters all around and scenes of everyday life beautifully and simply shown. Just give it a try and be surprised

      • Ed from LONDON, ENGLAND
  • Most recent members' review of Crooklyn

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  • Rated - 3 stars

    Well made, great music, but so sentimental you'll barf

    Crooklyn is so horribly mawkish that it actually taints the rest of Spike Lee's oeuvre. It has spoiled his other films for me - made me feel that they also were self indulgent and sentimental and any value I found in them was projection. It's not true - he's done some marvelous (if flawed) stuff - but this film definitely lets the rest down.

    Nevertheless, Crooklyn is very well made - if you like that sort of thing; the performances are very strong, especially the girl (the protagonist); and the music is great.

      • adamnieman from Bristol
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Rating breakdown

276 Member ratings
  • 100
35
  • 90
28
  • 80
41
  • 70
60
  • 60
54
  • 50
15
  • 40
15
  • 30
4
  • 20
18
  • 10
6

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    • Crooklyn
      From Spike Lee comes this vibrant semi-autobiographical portrait of a school-teacher, her stubborn jazz-musician husband and their five kids living in '70s Brooklyn....