A THOUSAND AND ONE

US, 2023, 117 minutes, Colour.

Teyana Taylor, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Aven Courtney, Josiah Cross, William Catlett, Terri Abney, Delissa Reynolds, Amelia Workman, Adriane Lennox.

Directed by A.V.Rockwell.

This is a first feature film by A.V.Rockwell who both wrote and directed. She brings a persuasive female sensibility and sensitivity to this film.

There have been many films about African-American children growing up in New York neighbourhoods – Boyz in the Hood. However, this one has a very striking difference. This is not a film about street violence, gangs, criminals and hardships. Rather, it is the story of a mother devoted to her young son, home life, education issues, his maturing into early adulthood.

And, the film boasts a two-to force performance from singer and video performer, Teyana Taylor. She plays the mother, recently released from jail I Rikers Island, her young son in hospital after a fall from the house where he was in foster care. She abducts him from the hospital, the first finding accommodation with friends, then settling down, meeting up with lucky, a friend from the past (William Catlett), marriage, a father for her son, Terry.

Teyana Taylor’s performance is very strong, in the early two in her early 20s in the first section, young, inexperienced in emotions, brash. Later she will look much older, warn, still assertive, dominating. And this is true of the last section, the convincing poor performance of change over the decades.

There are three time faces in the screenplay. It opens in 1994, the prison release, the abduction, setting up the household, very young Terry, quiet, his life before him. His played very persuasively by the young Aaron Kingsley at a taller.

The next time is 2001, but not focusing on 9/11. Rather, Terry has now grown up a bit, early adolescence, friends at school, experimentation with drugs, some silly reactions to his mother, but receiving a lot of support from Lucky. This section is rather brief.

In, 2005. Terry is almost 18, played convincingly by Josiah Cross. There is still the issues of relationship with his mother, the significance of lucky and his influence, his dying of cancer. There are also education issues with one of the local teachers encouraging him to do special exams in the past, qualifying him for higher studies, and the issue of college before him.

But, there is the complication of his falls identity, the false name and documents arranged by his mother long since, his legal situation, his family situation, the relationship with his mother. The issues are not solved by the final credits but there are hopeful indications.

1. The title? Children, parents, adoption, abductions…?
2. The New York settings, the neighbourhoods in the detail, streets, apartments? Shops? Schools? Hairdressers? The changing neighbourhood, pulling down buildings, ousting tenants…? The political background, the quotations from the various mayors, their commitment to the changes in the city…?
3. 1994, 2001, 2005, the look of each era, styles, clothes, technology developments…?
4. A drama on African-Americans in neighbourhoods – but family and relationships situations, not a story of violence, gun violence in the streets? In fact, universal stories?
5. The opening, Rikers Island, the views, the prison, prisoners leaving? Inez leaving, aged 22, having to make her way? Her personality, assertive, short fuse, determined?
6. The episode with Terry, foster care, his falling from the window, his injury, hospital, Inez going to see him, bonding with him, the toys, her taking him?
7. Inez, the phone calls, looking for friends, connecting with Kim, her mother hostile, Pea, Terry playing with him, bonding?
8. Inez, talent as a hairdresser, the client and her success, finding a job, having to work, accommodation? Setting up?
9. Terry and his story, young, quiet, somewhat bewildered, fostering, and happy, with Inez, bonding with her, her demands on him? With Pea and playing?
10. Lucky, his background, attraction to Inez, moving in, bonding with Terry? The marriage and the wedding, happiness? Everybody celebrating? Kim and her mother?
11. The legal situation, Inez arranging documents, deciding on a false name for Terry, the papers and her hiding them?
12. 2001, Terry at 15, Pea at 15, Simone at the diner and the attraction, her reactions to them? Terry, school, clever? Hanging out with Pea? The issue of his intelligence, Miss Tucker and her recommendations, his sitting for the test, discussions with lucky, his achievement? Yet the issue of staying at home?
13. Inez in 2001, looking older, more determined, bonding with Terry, yet severe, demanding on him, lucky and his going away, the later revelation of his child and the other woman, Inez inviting them in the funeral?
14. Lucky, bonding with Terry, the talking, encouraging him, basketball? Lucky and dinners, the tensions, his frank talking to her?
15. 2005, Terry almost 18, his prospects, Lucky, cancer, the hospital, Inez keeping vigil,, the talking, his death, the funeral?
16. Inez, older, harder, happy, exasperated?
17. Mr Tucker, Terry’s future, wanting the documents, Terry finding them, falls, issues of felony, the social workers, Inez leaving the house, returning talking to Terry, her disappearance?
18. Terry, his future, the effect of his upbringing, Inez as mother, Lucky as father, prospects?