Top 5 Movie Dads: #5 Laurence Fishburne in Boyz N the Hood

I was watching a movie this weekend and it made me ponder some of the more influential fathers that I have watched in my long life--ok, not THAT long. While I am sure there will be lots of people who would disagree with my top 5 list, let me remind you that this is MY top 5 list--the ones that are most important or have had a bit of an impact on my life--I am sure there are a million others that people think are better, and great! Glad that you think differently. But this is MY list--deal with it!! :)

So, with that being said, my number five dad is Laurence Fishburne from "Boyz N the Hood". Back when this came out, the buzz over John Singleton's inner-city drama was pretty big, as the violence and context of the life in Compton/South Central was focused on in only the way Singleton could do. And in this masterpiece, Fishburne played Furious Styles, who was the father of Trey Styles played by Cuba Gooding Jr. The magnetic performance that Fishburne put forth as trying to keep his son on the right path and not fall victim to what so many other black teens did then was memorable--not because he coddled Trey, but because he basically TAUGHT him how to be a man. He told things to him straight--challenged him, made him think, but when he needed to get him straight, he did so.

The strength that he showed in this movie and the respect that he demanded is really something I would love to emulate and be able to "portray" to my sons. While I understand that things will never be in the same type of life or situation, the fact that the respect factor crosses all lines is something that I am a HUGE believer in and expect that the boys give me--and I expect to earn it for many things as well--just because these boys call me dad doesn't mean automatically that I am the dictator of the world, et al. And with riveting stories like "Boyz" and Fishburne's character, it certainly is something to think about.

TAGS: Boyz N The Hood, Cuba Gooding Jr, Dads, Fatherhood, John Singleton, Laurence Fishburne, Movie, Movie Dads, Movies, Parenthood, Raising Children
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