The Corner (2000) Disc Two NR - 3½ Stars

The Corner is a documentary that follows a family of three and the people that surround their lives, followed and documented for one year. This neighborhood is in some of the darkest ghettos of Baltimore Maryland and disc two is split into three episodes, each focusing on the groups of people united by their addictions. Originally made for an HBO mini-series, the collection is a two disc set showing the struggling lives of families and what they confront living in the inner cities. The acting is great, believable and assures me I'll still never be addicted to the big "H" heroin.

The fourth episode entitled "Dope Fiend's Blues" centers on Fran's group she lives with. Their days and nights are planning to see who can come up with the score for the evening. Gary compares his life to a vat of crabs awaiting the kill. As one tries to climb out and save himself, the others do whatever they can to pull him back down. He remembers the days when he had everything and gave willingly to his friends who all took advantage of it but didn't want to see him get ahead. This episode, Fran has finally been accepted at the rehab center and Gary and DeAndre visit her through the fence. She finally will put an end to her habit and walks out 28 days later a free woman. Free from drugs that is. She visits the old gang who admire how well she looks but she tells them she can't go inside or stay there anymore. And like the vat of crabs, deep inside they all want to see her fall back inside. Instead, she gets a house with a room for both her children and the three become a real family again.

The fifth episode entitled "Corner Boys Blues" focuses back on DeAndre and his new responsibilities he must now take on as he prepares for fatherhood. His girlfriend is pregnant and not having an abortion and even though the two are feuding over a jealousy issue, DeAndre wants to step up to the plate and be a better father than he has known from his own dad. He tries to get a job at Wendy's but can't seem to keep up with the pace of wiping tables and emptying the garbage. Her briefly returns to selling on the street just to stay caught up. But when the boys in his hood are threatened from their corner, he must decline to stand ground. Now Fran has hooked up with a guy from her drug meetings and is about to move in the house. This guy comes off thinking he is DeAndre's dad which is not going over well. Gary is out of work as crab season is over and he's hurting for dope. When he runs into Fran, she tells him he is about to become a grandfather. Gary sees how well Fran is doing, but he knows he must get going as he's on the hunt for his next fix.

The sixth episode entitled "Every one's Blues" focuses on everyone in the neighborhood. Ritta has her baby boy Dante from DeAndre even though DeAndre acknowledges it's his, he's gone back to the corner to make a quick buck. One of the neighborhood addicts "Blue" has sought help at the rehab center and is now to this day (of the filming) clean 6 years. Fran unfortunately can't handle life with her new boyfriend Marvin, who ends up stealing everything in their kitchen for his next fix. Till Fran find herself on the streets, though on momentarily, relapsing and to this day (of the filming) has now been clean again four years. Gary finally dies in his family's basement of an overdose leading to a heart attack. And at the end of the movie we get to finally meet the true stars of our show, Fran, Blue, Ritta and DeAndre who are all clean now and DeAndre has even taken responsibility for his child. Ritta attends college and has her own place and a good job, but most of the players in our story have all passed on. The theme of this episode was that being an addict is the hardest job in the world. Staying sober is the easy part once you cane look at the big picture and rescue yourself.

2000 - The Corner - Academy of Television Arts and Sciences - Outstanding Miniseries

HBO Films
Director: Charles S. Dutton
Writer: David Simon
Producer: Antonia Ellis

I viewed 6/08