South Central is a 1992 American crime drama film that was written & directed by Stephen Milburn Anderson & adapted from Donald Bakeer's 1987 novel "Crips."
The film starred Glenn Plummer, Byron Minns, Lexie Bigham, Christian Coleman & Carl Lumbly.
Plot[]
Ten years ago, gang member Bobby Johnson (Glenn Plummer) is sent to prison on a murder charge. Ten years later, he is released from prison & learns that his young son, Jimmy (Christian Coleman) has followed into his footsteps as a gang member in his old street gang.
Cast[]
- Glenn Plummer as Bobby Johnson
- Byron Minns as Ray Ray
- Lexie Bigham as Bear
- Christian Coleman as Jimmy Johnson
- LaRita Shelby as Carole
- Kevin Best as Genie Lamp
- Carl Lumbly as Ali
Box Office[]
The film grossed $147,629 during its opening weekend and made $1,373,196 domestically.
Critical Reception[]
The film received wide critical acclaim.
On Rotten Tomatoes, it was given a rating of 100% based on 6 reviews with an average rating of 6.9\10 and an audience score of 84%.
New Yorker Magazine praising it as one of the year's best independent films. It also placed Stephen Milburn Anderson in the New York Times "Who's Who Among Hot New Filmmakers" along with Quentin Tarantino and Tim Robbins.
Roger Ebert gave the movie a rating of three stars, calling it "uncompromising in its view of how things work in a neighborhood like South Central" and also said that "movies like this one let us feel the emotions."
In his review about the film, Desson Howe from the Washington Post said, "A bare-bones outline ignores the performances, the stirring music, the close-in camerawork and the direction of Steve Anderson. The emotional punch and atmosphere of the movie soar through any hokiness".
He also called Glenn Plummer's performance in the film "powerful" & that he "transforms a potentially thankless (and catcalling) role into heroic triumph".
Accolades[]
1993 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
- Most Promising Actor: Glenn Plummer (nominated)
Mystfest 1993
- Best Film: Stephen Milburn Anderson (nominated)
1993 Young Artist Awards
- Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture: Christian Coleman (nominated)