‘Baby Boy’ A Legendary, Worthy Film

 By Savannah Davis

May 28, 2024

Your enjoyment of the classic thriller Baby Boy (now on Hulu) may depend on how much you like Black Entertainment and whether you can keep up with the characters’ lingo. I'm not talking about Steve Harvey's Black Entertainment. I'm talkin’ Tyrese Gibson and Snoop Dogg with a little bit of Taraji P. Henson in the mix. 

Baby Boy is a film that illustrates the everyday life of a young black man in a predominantly black neighborhood in the early 2000s battling systemic racism. It is meant to take you back in time and show how young black men handled their kids, their baby's mothers and their priorities. It's a funny, but riveting film that may make you uncomfortable depending on how aware you are of the systematic biases that black people faced then and now. You’ll either love Baby Boy or you won't. There really is no in between. 

Tyrese Gibson plays a misguided 20 year old boy named Jody who really is just a baby boy but suddenly hits the reality of the real world. Not only is he streetwise but he's jobless while fathering two children by two different mothers, Yvette (Taraji P. Henson) and Peanut (Tamara LeSeon Bass). Jody still lives with his mother and continues to struggle with finding balance or direction in his chaotic life. With the feelings of not being prioritized by his mother and being misunderstood, Jody and his best friend SweetPea (Omar Gooding) are just trying to make it day by day. 

Jody's mom, Juanita, (A.J. Johnson) is a single mother who falls in love with a man named Melvin (Ving Rhames). Jody suspects Melvin is a gangbanger and tries to convince his mother that she should stay away from him but Juanita is blinded by the love she has for Melvin and decides to move Melvin into the home despite Jody's concerns. 

Jody, though, has his own issues in the mix. Jody is in love with Yvette (the mother of his son) but he continues to cheat on her and emotionally hurt her. Due to Yvette's love for Jody, she tolerates and stays with Jody. After a heated argument between the two about Jody's lack of commitment and selfishness, Jody loses his cool and hits Yvette in the face. Yvette finally decides to stand her ground and break all contact with Jody because he made a promise to never hit her which he broke. Jody finally realizes how much he needs Yvette in his life and fights to get her back but he may be too late when Yvette's ex boyfriend, Rodney (Snoop Dogg) steps back into the picture after being released from prison. 

Baby Boy takes place in the hood of Los Angeles. In this setting, we see a black community in the midst of systematic racism. This setting is accurate and makes you wish that you lived during this time from the hairstyles to the lingo to the way they all dress. Some may say it was stereotypical but the setting of Baby Boy really plays a huge role in the emotions received from this film. When watching, depending on your personal upbringing you may get a warm feeling of seeing such a y2k themed black lifestyle while also feeling empathetic while seeing Jody and Yvette’s love story unfold. It definitely caters to young black men and pushes them to become street smart but then motivates them to be better than Jody in terms of committing to one woman and becoming a better, more successful provider because in today's world, way too many black men are stereotyped to be cheaters, “deadbeats” and not .

Definitely sounds like an amazing time in the living room and can be seen as a comfort movie due to its funny nature. You want a good laugh? Cue it up. It includes the thriller of everyday life while bringing crime, romance and family love all into one movie. This is a forgotten movie that is streaming now on Hulu - I found it extremely touching. 

Running time 130 minutes. Rating: 6.4/10.