Black Coming-of-Age in the 1990s: Crooklyn

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Welcome Back Realmies, in week 3 we watched Crooklyn, a Coming-of-age film, the semi-autobiographical Spike Lee Joint released in 1994 but set in 1970s Brooklyn.

Read more: Black Coming-of-Age in the 1990s: Crooklyn

Crooklyn begins with a full display of what it was like to grow up in a family with several similar aged siblings in Brooklyn, New York, or likely similar urban settings, in the 70s.  The soundtrack functions as its own character to set the tone of the film.  The neighborhood looks fairly new in comparison to how this neighborhood would be depicted if the film were set in the late 80s or 90s, we would have seen some visible urban decay.  Spike Lee sets the stage that children were running free, at relatively young ages with little worry of their whereabouts by parents.  Parents were also seen to be interacting with neighbors in a family way giving the sense that we are in a community that interacts.

Chaos & Sibling Hierarchy

There is a sense of us versus them throughout the film, sibling-sibling, children-parents, Carmichael Kids – Neighborhood Kids, Father-mother, urban/north views – southern/suburban views. In the beginning of the film there is so much chaos in the home, the Carmichael kids are all about the same age or within a range from 5-13.  They fight over different television shows, access to parts of the home, generally fighting for air space and who can yell the loudest.  Troy is the center of the story and is the only girl and is fighting for dominance among her brothers but is becoming aware of her difference and becoming more intrigued by the difference, as evidenced by her obsession with her breasts.

She is at a crossroads between wanting to be helpful to her mother but also adding to the chaos by taking things from her brother and teasing neighborhood kids that require her mother to step in adding to Carolyn’s stress in managing the family seemingly alone, as Woody offers little help with the family order of operations.  He is occupied with fulfilling his dream of being a pure musician, which does not bring in any money to the home, reflected in the electricity being cut off and he doesn’t help with the children, leaving the full family burden on Carolyn.

Alternate Perspectives

Troy visits family in the south which gives her another perspective of life outside of an urban setting.  She hates her time with Aunt Song and experienced colorism through aunt Song’s view of her hair through sly comments and then her outright pressing her hair.  Troy’s time away from her family caused her to miss and appreciate home more, even her brothers, and while she mostly hated it at Aunt Song’s she finds herself singing a song she learned while there showing the experience might not have been as bad as she initially thought.

When Troy returns, Carolyn is ill and this moment transcends Troy into adulthood as a 10-year-old.  Given the film’s release date being in 1994, I think it does not really reflect the level of responsibility and pressure that it would be.  The story is told in a more matter-of-fact nature, this is just how it is and how things were.  Which I suppose is to honor the semi-autobiographical nature of the story.

A New Generation’s Take: Watching Crooklyn for the First Time

I decided to watch this week with a Gen Z team member in their 20s who had never seen the film and asked for their perspective. The following is a review from a first-time viewer.

Spike Lee’s “Crooklyn” Movie Review

Set in 1970s Brooklyn, Spike Lee’s 1994 film Crooklyn follows a family of 7 and immerses viewers in the uniqueness of a Black neighborhood. We open with how neighborhood kids routinely operate, their resourcefulness fully on display as they play an assortment of games – like using a bottlecap and some chalk to have a makeshift curling area in your own neighborhood. There are many scenes that show the children have a desire for more than what they’re capable of attaining, and through the eyes of Troy, the only daughter in a household of 4 other children, we take a backseat to we experience the work of Crooklyn through her eyes while she discovers what she desires and how she will try to obtain it while everyone is swept into the chaos.

Troy and her siblings grow up to parents Carolyn and Woody. The parents are cast in the stereotype of good cop bad cop, whereas the father, Woody, is seen as the goody guy – the one who overloads the lemonade with sugar and brings home sweets. Watching this movie, it’d be ridiculous to deny how his children cherish him, though that doesn’t negate how his sweet actions serve as a slow poison ticking down on their family’s wellbeing and sedating their children. As the story goes on we find out how the family struggles financially and the route Woody takes to remedy that. He chooses to side with his dream of becoming a musician with the hope of catching a big break that’ll allow him to support his family, all while recklessly spending the little money they have. His warm presence is deeply felt by his children, however, his actions and lack thereof behind the scenes create a rift between him and his partner. The mother on the other hand is portrayed as an enforcer and nagger who yells constantly for them to complete tasks. Almost all the children share a distaste for how she leads the household in one scene or another, almost all but Troy. The scenes in which Troy interacts with Carolyn one-on-one are cinematographically ethereal and idealized. Carolyn is deified to Troy and she wants nothing else than to be like her. On top of these beautifully crafted scenes, they share special moments like whispers in Troy’s ear, kept secret even from us, the viewers. The two share an undeniable bond that drives Troy’s motivations.

As Troy takes to the streets, her everyday life continues to be chock-full of exposure.  From run-ins with characters like RuPaul’s dancing gender expansive personality in the bodega to Snuffy and Right Hand Man, two well known troublemakers who struggle with addiction, there is no shortage of content for Troy and the children of the neighborhood to absorb. We see signs around the neighborhood that serve as reminders for the residents to “keep the block clean.” At first glance, this appears to be a literal reference to the neighborhood’s cleanliness; however, the behavior of the characters reveals that it represents something more than that. Language is an important factor in this movie. We see a lack of boundaries between child and adult through a handful of derogatory and expletive-filled feuds that shed light on the culture of the times and what was accepted as acceptable. Circling back to the idea of the neighborhood sign, we should ask ourselves how language like the word “clean” manifests in an environment full of children with brains like sponges. Using language like “clean” or even “normal” suggests that there exists a version that is deemed “dirty” or “abnormal.” It’s a running gag throughout the film that downstairs neighbor Tony Eyes has poor sense of hygiene and a foul-smelling house. Not only that but he and Troy’s siblings go back and forth between emptying their trash on one another’s properties. To me, cleanliness is not depicted as a priority for Crooklyn‘s characters and leads me to believe that the aforementioned “clean” more closely pertains to the culture, happenings, and lifestyle of those within the neighborhood. Both the adults and the children have accepted the occurrences in their lives and the younger generations continue to be indoctrinated to the previous generation’s way of living and thinking and accept it as culture, and this is especially true for Troy. No matter what she’s exposed to, whether it be spending time in the South or whatever the case may be, Troy has accepted that what she wants is to be like her mother. To take her place in the neighborhood, cleaning, and caring for her loved ones in many other ways.

Viewing this movie, you will be thrust into an unfortunate display of self-deprecating black children, dysfunctional families, financial hardships, colorism, and somehow still be left enveloped by its warmth. It’s a masterful portrayal of how girls are conditioned to grow up quickly, thrust into the role of pseudo-mothers for the males in their lives, with a distinctly Black cultural lens on how that manifests within their communities. Through Troy’s eyes, we witness how language, environment, and expectation quietly shape what children come to accept. We follow the peaks and valleys of the story, observing how love endures through the various challenges and hardships. Crooklyn stands as a vivid portrayal of the complexity of humanity, offering a snapshot of growing up in the 70s while illustrating how both nature and nurture shape the ways we come of age.

Critic’s Take

Your Take

Over three decades later, Crooklyn continues to resonate as a portrait of childhood, family, and memory. There is so much more that can be said about Crooklyn not included here, but we can continue that conversation in the comments:

• What are your thoughts about Crooklyn?
• What moments of childhood or family life stood out to you most?
• Was this your first viewing, or a rewatch? If it was a rewatch, did your perspective shift?
• How did the film’s treatment of discipline, sibling dynamics, community, and parenting land for you?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Next in the Series

Week 3 will focus on Above the Rim, the 1994 coming-of-age sports drama set in New York City. It is centered on high school basketball player Kyle as he navigates mentorship, ambition, and street influence and expectations. The film examines talent as both opportunity and vulnerability, and touches on community pressures, loyalty, grief, and survival.

Above the Rim is currently available to stream free with ads on Tubi and available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

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