Baby Boy

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Baby Boy

R

2001

2h 9m

Drama

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

93 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

The story of Jody (Tyrese Gibson), a misguided, 20-year-old African-American who is really just a baby boy finally forced-kicking and screaming to face the commitments of real life. Streetwise and jobless, he has not only fathered two children by two different women-Yvette (Taraji P. Henson) and Peanut (Tamara LaSeon Bass) but still lives with his own mother. He can't seem to strike a balance or find direction in his chaotic life.

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Critics Consensus

Preachy and repetitive in parts, Baby Boy still manages to exude authenticity, thanks to its competent cast.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Jan 29, 2010

The characters are so full-bodied and the feelings so raw and complex that I'd call this the best thing John Singleton has done to date

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Jane Crowther

BBC.com

Nov 12, 2001

3/5

Johnson and Rhames are superb as Jody's charming, hard-working mother and her ex-con boyfriend Melvin.

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Adam Nayman

eye WEEKLY

Aug 2, 2001

2/5

It's an intermittently powerful but deeply flawed film.

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Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

Aug 26, 2024

The movie may have a lot of truth, but it isn't much fun to watch for exactly that reason.

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Armond White

National Review

Jul 7, 2021

Singleton never asked for tears or trendy social reform but insisted on the honesty that politicians and the media shunt aside in favor of platitudes. Baby Boy remarkably withholds platitudes.

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Jul 4, 2011

B

The film is a bold examination of an aspect of African American life. There's no shortage of sex, violence, or urban realism.

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Yash B

@yashbansal Jul 23, 2026

"Baby Boy" does suffer from being repetitive at times, but it is a thoughtful movie with a lot of ideas. The movie shines because of a great lead performance from Tyrese Gibson, and it is tough to imagine any other actor in the lead role. The movie does have many moments that are uncomfortable and definitely shifts from comedic to dramatic in many moments. I do feel that by the end it leaves enough impact and is worth seeing. Overall, I don't think it is the best John Singleton movie, but I can see why it is considered an influential movie from the early 2000s.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Mar 7, 2026

Successful romance movie in 2 hours and 9 minutes. The boy is now a man! The worldwide gross is $29,381,649.00, which is almost 2 times as much as the production budget of $16,000,0000.00.

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Damon G

@Dmoney420 Feb 22, 2026

West coast classic 10 out of 10

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HMF B

@RT83358023 Feb 11, 2025

This is very far from my small town culture but I enjoyed it very much and liked the characters with all their flaws and humour. And the music.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Aug 17, 2022

Filme foda, o roteiro é legal pra caramba, as cenas são excelentes, o elenco é muito bom, e a maioria ajuda a melhorar o filme, a história é bacana, os personagens sao bacaninhas, o filme tem cenas meio pesadas com um drama forte de família e de relacionamento que melhora muito o filme, e também o filme melhora com a excelente atuação do Tyrese Gibson junto com a atriz Taraji p. Henson, com tudo isso, eu recomendo muito esse filme, vale a pena assistir.

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georgan g

@RT98616417 Aug 24, 2021

Much better than I thought it would be, with heart and a real growth in character for a lost young man.

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John Singleton

Director

Tyrese Gibson

Joseph Summers

Omar Gooding

Sweetpea

Adrienne-Joi Johnson

Juanita

Taraji P. Henson

Yvette

Snoop Dogg

Rodney

Baby Boy: Official Clip - Revenge in the Park

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Baby Boy: Official Clip - Drive-by Shooting

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Baby Boy: Official Clip - Living Room Fight

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Baby Boy: Official Clip - This Is Just Between Us

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Baby Boy: Official Clip - I Love You, Baby

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Baby Boy: Official Clip - Drive-Thru Drama

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Baby Boy: Official Clip - Mother vs. Son

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Baby Boy: Official Clip - Taking the Gun

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Baby Boy: Official Clip - Taking Down Rodney

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Synopsis

The story of Jody (Tyrese Gibson), a misguided, 20-year-old African-American who is really just a baby boy finally forced-kicking and screaming to face the commitments of real life. Streetwise and jobless, he has not only fathered two children by two different women-Yvette (Taraji P. Henson) and Peanut (Tamara LaSeon Bass) but still lives with his own mother. He can't seem to strike a balance or find direction in his chaotic life.

Director: John Singleton
Producer: John Singleton
Screenwriter: John Singleton
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures, New Deal Productions
Rating: R (Some Drug Use|Language|Strong Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 29, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $28.7M
Runtime: 2h 9m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, SDDS, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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