Back in Boyz N The Hood territory, director John Singleton delivers his strongest film since his debut - although this time the dramas are rooted in the home.
Jody (Gibson) doesn't want to leave the womb-like security of his mother's house, even though he has a son and daughter by two different women. He truly loves his babymother Yvette (Henson) but when Rodney (Snoop Dogg), her gangbanger ex, comes back on the scene, tragedy seems inevitable.
Despite a soapy start, Singleton buckles down to confront real-life issues of maturity and responsibility that stretch beyond racial borders. He draws inch-perfect performances from the entire cast - particularly a heavyweight turn from Ving Rhames as Jody's mother's boyfriend.