Boyz n the Hood was John Singleton's directorial debut, and it earned him an Oscar record that had been untouched for 50 years. Since its release, the movie has been recognized as one of the most significant films of the 1990s, and Boyz n the Hood is credited with having launched the careers of many of its actors. Boyz n the Hood has received numerous awards, and it currently holds a 96% critics approval rating and 93% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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The coming-of-age drama explores the lives of teenage boys living in South Central Los Angeles and deals with themes of loyalty, friendship, and love. Along with various accolades for the performers and his screenplay, John Singleton's work on Boyz n the Hood earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Director, breaking a record that Orson Welles had set 50 years earlier.
John Singleton Became The Youngest Best Director Oscar Nominee With Boyz N The Hood
Singleton Was 24 When His Film Was Nominated
At the 1991 Academy Awards, John Singelton was nominated for Best Director for Boyz n the Hood. At only 24 years old, Singleton then became the youngest person to be nominated for a Best Director Oscar and the first Black director to be nominated. Singleton was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay, but lost to Thelma & Louise's Callie Khouri.
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Though Singleton did not win the Oscar for Best Director, he still made history as the youngest nominee and Boyz n the Hood continues to be as highly regarded as it was 30 years ago.
Alongside Boyz n the Hood, Barry Levinson's Bugsy, Oliver Stone's JFK, and Ridley Scott's Thelma & Louise were all nominees. However, The Academy Award ultimately went to Jonathan Demme for The Silence of the Lambs, which also won Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay, making it one of only three films to ever win the Big Five. Though Singleton did not win the Oscar for Best Director, he still made history as the youngest nominee and Boyz n the Hood continues to be as highly regarded as it was 30 years ago.
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Orson Welles Previously Was The Youngest Best Director Oscar Nominee After Citizen Kane
Welles Was 26 When Citizen Kane Was Nominated
Like Singleton's Boyz n the Hood, Citizen Kane was also Orson Welles' directorial debut for a feature-length film. Citizen Kane premiered the same week that Welles turned 26, making him the youngest Best Director nominee in 1941. The other nominees were Alexander Hall for Here Comes Mr. Jordan, William Wyler for The Little Foxes, and Howard Hawks for Sergeant York. John Ford won Best Director for the film How Green Was My Valley, a choice that is now considered strange given Citizen Kane's legacy.
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Citizen Kane is now considered one of the best films of all time, but, like Boyz n the Hood, Welles was not very successful at the Academy Awards. Citizen Kane received nine nominations, but it only won Best Original Screenplay. Its other nominations include Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Score, Best Sound, Best Production, Best Cinematography for a black and white film, and Best Film Editing. However, many of the films that Citizen Kane lost to have not had the longevity in popularity that Citizen Kane has experienced.
What Happened To John Singleton After His Oscar Nomination?
John Singleton Directed Other Successful Films Throughout His Career
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Though John Singleton never received another Oscar nomination after Boyz n the Hood, he went on to direct several other popular and financially successful films. His next film after Boyz n the Hood, Poetic Justice, though not widely regarded at the time, has gained cult popularity in the years since its release. In the latter half of the 1990s, Singleton also directed the drama Higher Learning, which received mixed reviews, and the historical drama Rosewood, which received positive critical reviews but was not financially successful.
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In the 2000s, Singleton turned more toward popular action movies. He directed Shaft, starring Samuel L. Jackson, which was a follow-up to the 1971 movie of the same name. Singleton also directed 2 Fast 2 Furious, the second installment in the Fast & Furious franchise. His 2001 movie Baby Boy was more similar to Boyz n the Hood and was critically well received. It marked a return to Singleton's work with musicians and rappers that he was known for in the 1990s. John Singleton also directed episodes of several TV shows throughout the 2010s.
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After a long and successful career, John Singleton sadly passed away in 2019 and was remembered by many of his friends in the film and music industries. Singleton's films help memorialize his talent and passion as a director, and Boyz n the Hood will continue to be indicative of the impressive legacy he left behind.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
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Boyz n the Hood
R
Crime
Documentary
Drama
Boyz n the Hood, directed by John Singleton, is a 1991 film set in South Central Los Angeles. It follows the lives of three young African-American men—Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.), Doughboy (Ice Cube), and Ricky (Morris Chestnut)—as they navigate the challenges and pressures of growing up in an environment plagued by violence, gang culture, and socio-economic hardships. The film explores themes of family, friendship, and survival.
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*Availability in US
- Director
- John Singleton
- Writers
- John Singleton
- Cast
- Hudhail Al-Amir , Lloyd Avery II , Angela Bassett , Mia Bell , Lexie Bigham , Kenneth A. Brown
- Release Date
- July 12, 1991
- Runtime
- 102 minutes
