Friday
Craig and Smokey are two guys in Los Angeles hanging out on their porch on a Friday afternoon, smoking and drinking…
- Director:F. Gary Gray
- Genre:Comedy / Drama
- Runtime:88 minutes
Cast
Ice Cube : Craig Jones
Chris Tucker : Smokey
Nia Long : Debbie
Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister : Deebo (as Tiny ‘Zeus’ Lister Jr.)
John Witherspoon : Mr. Jones
The film is a look at one particular day (Friday) in the life of two friends, Craig Jones (Cube) and Smokey (Tucker), in urban Los Angeles. Straight-laced Craig has recently been fired from his job while attempting to collect his wages (he was allegedly caught on camera stealing boxes), although he claims innocence. Exacerbating his dilemma, his parents (John Witherspoon and Anna Maria Horsford) are threatening to evict him from the family home unless he quickly finds new employment. Meanwhile, Craig has been eyeing comely, pretty neighbor Debbie (Nia Long), but his insanely jealous, ghetto-fabulous girlfriend Joi (Paula Jai Parker) is a formidable obstacle (ironically, an unidentified man was seen in Joi’s bed in the beginning of the film, while she was arguing with Craig on the phone).
Throughout the day, friends and local neighborhood characters pass through: the harmless but always-scheming crack head and petty thief Ezal (Anthony Johnson); the unkempt, perpetually mooching Felicia; lascivious Pastor Clever (Bernie Mac), who has a brief fling with sultry parishioner Ms. Parker (Kathleen Bradley), before being unexpectedly interrupted by her infuriated, diminutive husband (Tony Cox); package delivery driver Red (DJ Pooh), whose stolen bicycle, chain necklace and black eye are courtesy of the hulking bully Deebo (Tommy Lister, Jr.); and China (Terri J. Vaughn), friend of sister Dana (Regina King). Much earlier, Debbie hooks Smokey up with a blind date (Yvette Wilson) over the phone who claims she bears a resemblance to Janet Jackson.
The film’s subplot focuses on Smokey who has been depleting (smoking) a brokered consignment of indo, thus indebting him to a drug dealer. In an attempt to explain his obvious lack of revenue, Smokey inadvertently incriminates Craig, subjecting both to the dealer’s wrath. The dealer, Big Worm (Faizon Love), has had enough of Smokey “playing with his emotions” and warns him to show a substantial profit no later than 10:00 that evening, or he and Craig will be killed. Later on, the two plan how they are going to get Big Worm’s money. By then Smokey’s blind date Rita (Yvette Wilson) arrives. Smokey approaches her car with confidence until he finds out that she “lied” about her image. Instead of resembling Janet Jackson, she is portly and practically bald. Smokey heads to Debbie’s house to complain about the date and notices Deebo’s (Red’s) bike on the lawn. He sneaks in the bedroom and there he finds Deebo sound asleep with Felicia beside him. He tries to steal the rest of money he and Craig lifted from robbing Stanley earlier, but quickly leaves without the money as Deebo wakes up. Smokey goes back the porch to tell Craig about this. They settle back into Craig’s room for a about an hour, trying to get in touch with Big Worm. They decide to go back outside to prove they are not scared. Once outside, they notice a black van pulling up the neighborhood with the headlights off. The two flee as the men in the truck start shooting at them with submachine guns, ultimately landing in the back of a pick up truck where they remain safe. Read more
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