Enjoying a film of firsts

I watched the JOHN SINGLETON film "BOYZ N THE HOOD" on DVD last night.
I had seen the 1991 film years ago, so on this return viewing I both reacquainted myself with the movie and was reminded of its significance.
The cast includes Lawrence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Angela Bassett and CUBA GOODING JR. -- in his first major role as Tre Stiles.
Tre is a studious young man finding his role in a world -- South Central Los Angeles of the early 1990s -- characterized by random shootings and the eerie sound of police helicopters constantly circling overhead.
His father, Furious Stiles (Fishburne), attempts to guide his son down a path of black self-reliance -- a path that seeks to avoid the black-on-black violence plaguing the community.
"Boyz" was one of the first films to attempt to depict the constant menace of violence in some parts of Southern California.
Singleton also became the youngest person ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and the first African-American to be nominated for the award.
It was a joy to see Gooding in this role. His career highlights include "Jerry Maguire," "Radio" and certainly this film, too.