After spending the last few years in the world of documentary filmmaking, Spike Lee is returning to feature film directing with Red Hook Summer. Revolving around a young boy (Jules Brown) from Atlanta who is forced to spend the summer with his preacher Uncle (Clarke Peters) in Red Hook, this movie sees Lee return to his roots of bringing intimate urban family conflicts to life.
Red Hook Summer will bring the issues facing the youth of our country into focus as Da Good Bishop Enoch Rouse attempts to keep his nephew on the straight and narrow. The child actors in this trailer look fine, but it's the performance by Peters that will most likely get everyone talking. This movie is also notable because it marks Lee's return in front of the camera in one of his movies for the first time since 1999's Summer of Sam. Interestingly enough, he will actually be reprising the role of Mookie from Do the Right Thing in this film, so longtime Lee fans should keep an eye out for that.
Lee's familiarity and love for New York helps this movie portray Brooklyn the way it really is, as opposed to the way Hollywood usually makes it look. That type of honesty and personal attachment is the biggest asset in Lee's tool chest. If this movie works, it will be solely because of his passion and vision.
Red Hook Summer opens on August 10.
