Hangin' with the Homeboys is a 1991 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Joseph Vasquez. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. It was released by New Line Cinema on April 5, 1991.

Plot

Tom, Willie, Johnny, and Vinny are four friends who grew up together in the Bronx. Tom aspires to be an actor and sells magazine subscriptions over the phone to pay the rent. Johnny, the youngest of the group, works in a supermarket; though he's been encouraged to go to college, he's afraid to take the first step—filling out an application for a scholarship. Vinny is a smooth-talking ladies' man who hides his Puerto Rican heritage behind the lie that he's Italian. Willie is unemployed and unemployable, convinced that he's oppressed by racial prejudice. On a Friday night, the friends go out for a "guys' night" in Manhattan and suffer various disasters, (Tom wrecks his car, Willie gets the guys thrown out of a party) most of which they bring on themselves. During their night out, their relationships with one another become strained as the events lead to conflict between them.

Cast

Reception

Hangin’ with the Homeboys received largely positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a rating of 93% from 41 reviews. Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader called it "a beautiful film" and Variety commented the film "is infused with an aggressive and engaging street energy and plenty of humor". Jay Boyar of the Orlando Sentinel said "this semiautobiographical production has an exuberance that recalls such other coming-of-age movies as American Graffiti and Diner". Though Boyar said the film gets "slightly preachy at the end…Director Vasquez treats the people in his movie sympathetically, but with an edge of irony that makes most of what happens humorous." Dave Kehr of the Chicago Tribune wrote the film "transcends its drive-in title to become a compelling Cassavetes-like study of male friendship." Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "the actors fill out their roles, especially Leguizamo, who gives Johnny a furtive, soulful complexity. He lends an emotional credence to the film’s message, which is that you have to help yourself — not because some phony 'go for it' triumph awaits, but because if you don’t no one else will."

Accolades

The film won the prize for Audience Award at the Deauville American Film Festival. It was also nominated for several awards at the 7th Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Director and Best Screenplay for Vasquez, Best Male Lead for Doug E. Doug, Best Supporting Female for Mary B. Ward, and Best Film Music for David Chackler and Joel Sill.

Soundtrack