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In the wake of Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, the doors seemed wide open for a number of young Black directors to step into the business, and one of the youngest and brightest was Matty Rich.  After writing, directing and producing the breakout debut film that was Straight Out of Brooklyn, Rich returned to the scene with a completely different look in the form of The Inkwell, but unfortunately (or possibly fortunately, as he found success in other realms), the film did not connect the same way as his debut.  In my opinion, this was a shame, as I’ve deeply enjoyed The Inkwell from my first access to it.

Sixteen year old Drew Tate (Larenz Tate) is an emotionally stunted and misunderstood young man living in Upstate New York.  His parents, Kenny (Joe Morton) and Brenda Tate (Suzzanne Douglass), decide to spend the summer of 1976 by taking Drew to visit his family in Martha’s Vineyard for two weeks.  The Tates settle in with Spencer (Glynn Turman) and Francis Phillips (Vanessa Bell Calloway), Drew’s aunt and uncle, his grandmother Evelyn (Mary Alice), and his cousin Junior (Duane Martin), but things get off to a rocky start.  Spencer and Francis suggest that Drew meet with their friend Dr. Wade (Phyllis Yvonne Stickley), a psychiatrist, much to the behest of Kenny, but Drew quickly finds himself obsessed with a local girl named Lauren Kelly (Jada Pinkett-Smith).  Despite the constant teasing of Junior and his two friends, Darryl (Markus Redmond) and Moe (Perry Moore), Drew takes a shot at getting to know Lauren, and in the process, discovers more about himself than he realized was possible.

While The Inkwell is at heart a romantic comedy and coming of age film, at its heart, it’s truly a film about the struggle between socio-political and economic ideas that plague Black people in their struggle to find where they fit in.  While we are given two extreme examples in Kenny and Spencer, at the heart of their characters, they perfectly define those concerned with the betterment of their people as a whole versus those who think that financial success will bring Black people to the place where they belong in society.  Kenny and Brenda’s struggles with raising Drew also bring up long-held assumptions of and hesitations to use psychiatry and psychology as a way to raise a child, chiefly based on ideas that Drew would be labelled crazy, and they would be labelled failures as parents.  

Speaking of Drew, I found myself extremely connected to and understanding of the character seeing that I was a young, imaginative and, at times, isolated individual growing up.  Having our protagonist be an understanding, sensitive and caring young man rather than someone forced to make life-altering decisions with their back against the wall was a refreshing change of pace.  Positioning Drew as the son of Kenny begs the question if Drew’s sensitive nature stems directly from Kenny’s radical posturing and outward focus, as if his personality and actions were a cry for attention of some sort.  This is further driven home with details such as Drew’s doll/imaginary friend Iago whom he constantly talks to, or his tandem bike that publicly broadcasts his need for companionship.

It’s not only nice to see a film with a majority Black cast in a location such as Martha’s Vineyard, but more importantly, nice to see a coming of age film with Black characters that’s absent of the hood as the primary setting.  Speaking of settings, the Phillips home is definitely impressive, and Junior’s room specifically is a goldmine of stimulus.  With the many, many personalities presented through our characters, we are given a surprisingly deep exploration of Black identity.  As a 1970′s film, it probably doesn’t need to be stated, but the soundtrack is KILLER.  I remember this film being poorly received when it was released, which was a shame, because Matty Rich put together a truly poignant film… perhaps it was public expectations in the wake of the successful debut Straight Out of Brooklyn, but in my opinion, people missed out on a low-key classic.

With the iconic role of O-Dog the only one on his resume at the time, it would have been very easy for Larenz Tate to fall into the realm of typecasting, but The Inkwell allowed him to be as vulnerable and short of confidence as O-Dog was menacing and terrifying.  Joe Morton channels enough radical posturing to be believable as an ex-revolutionary, but not at the cost of displaying caring and loving characteristics.  Suzzanne Douglass displays all of the patience and unconditional love it takes to raise a troubled young man.  Glynn Turman dives headlong into bougie characteristics with great aplomb, barely avoiding becoming a caricature in the best ways possible, while Vanessa Bell Calloway steps in as the support system that allows Spencer to validate his actions.  Mary Alice plays withdrawn and guarded, only letting down her guard as the film comes close to resolution.  Duane Martin brings most of the comedy beats to the table, and has great chemistry with Markus Redmond and Perry Moore.  Jada Pinkett-Smith displays all the beauty and charm that makes her irresistible, while channeling all of the fierceness and selfishness it takes to make her wholly undesirable.  Phyllis Yvonne Stickley and Adrienne-Joi Johnson bring the most grounded and sincere human elements to the table, while Morris Chestnut plays the stereotypical womanizer role to a tee.  Supporting appearances by Akia Victor and R&B group Jade round out the main cast.