Many of you probably thought you’ve seen the last Spike Lee film, but were soon surprised when he released his newest joint entitled Red Hook Summer in late August. It was portrayed to be about a story of a boy named “Flik” (Jules Brown) spending the summer with his grandfather,Bishop Enoch Rouse (Clark Peters) . What I thought would be a coming of age story was actually a rude awakening to the controversies of the church. However, the relationship between his summer friend, Chazz (Toni Lysaith), eased the tension off Flik making him more aware of his surroundings beyond the “suburban life” in his hometown. Spike Lee did an excellent job at conveying the church setting by captivating the white Jesus, dramatic preaching styles, and the strict rules that Bishop enoch Rouse tried to live by.
Not to give a spoil alert, but this film had nothing to do with coming of age and lot’s to do with family secrets. I’d like to focus on one character, Flik’s mom. It wasn’t until the end that you find out why she snubbed her father, won’t look him in the eye, and questioned why she even brought him to Red Hook in the first place. I know Spike Lee made her character undeveloped for a reason but it makes me wonder why a mother wouldn’t want their child regardless of the relationship, to be around a man who has molested a boy in the past. Many churches put issues like this under the table and try to hush the situation; in this case the preacher was given a “love offering” to go away and never come back. He then gave it to his daughter to live in Atlanta, where I believe it was as an apology.
I’m not going to use this post to ramble on about my interpretations of the movie, but I’m more curious to what your thoughts are on Red Hook Summer. What are your thoughts on Red Hook Summer? The Characters? and how do you feel about the overall theme? Share in the comment box 🙂
Check you local listing here for Red Hook Summer
Reesa Speaks 