This charming coming-of-age film follows two boys (wonderful performances by Blake Cameron James as Malik and Gian Knight Ramirez as Eric) who grow up in the early 1990s in Chicago’s largest public housing project, Cabrini-Green. Malik and his pal Eric dream of reaching the stars, and, as narrator Malik explains, the kids know that what makes them stand out is to be able to “jump”!
The film opens with images of the kids soaring above the asphalt, an image that sets the tone for this story. As boys and girls jump rope or pivot off a mattress, they rise above their environment, literally. Malik, who is the film’s narrator, leads the task of dragging a mattress from an abandoned apartment on the top floor of a 12-story building to use in their games. They make it all the way down the many stairs. That the elevator is broken, the boys simply accept with grace.
We meet Malik’s mother (Jurnee Smollett) as she spends her days keeping the family going, tired from the job that does not pay enough. Her frustration is palpable, in her quest for more for her mother and her son, but the prospects seem distant. Grandmother Anita (a perfectly cast S. Epatha Merkerson) had once moved from her native South to Cabrini-Green on the promise of this same dream. The bright orange curtains she had sewn when she first arrived remain a reminder of her hopes.
They will take us through to the film’s end, when reminders for a precious new life may no longer be needed. The real sacrifice, Bain shows us, is the loss of the old ties. Merkerson as Anita is empathetic, an always kind grandmother who encourages her daughter to seize every opportunity to grow. We and she see grandson Malik’s creativity and we know he needs saving.
Chicago writer and director Minhal Baig who also co-produced the film, gives us an example when Malik takes his friend Eric on an adventure. The best friends break out of their status quo. They cut class and ride a train to visit Chicago’s Art Institute. Art is a way for these 10-year olds to experience an alternative to their stress filled housing situation.
The film is set in the early 1990s, and we are surprisingly presented with a nostalgic view, an oasis of childhood. We Grown Up offers hope in light of the decline of the large housing project. Director Baig centers the action on actual 1992 incident that brings residents together. Change is overdue. The film’s main characters’ portrayal is wonderful, the children are naturals, bringing to their roles a joy that truly shines!
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jurnee Smollett, Tyla Abercrumbie
Directed and written by: Minhal Baig
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic material and language.
Running Time: 1 hr. 33 min.
Opening Date: Now Playing
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics
Released in: Select Theaters, soon to be released on streaming platforms