Friday
Uploaded by Admin on Jun 03, 2000
The movie Friday is a comedy, but it also depicts many important social issues. The story is set in the city of Los Angelos, California, in what could be called a high class ghetto. The main theme of the movie is about a young black man who looses his job and is influenced by his best friend to smoke marijuana. The movie also shows the relationships of his family and other members of his neighborhood.
With a zany cast of characters and a hilarious script this movie touches on everything from gang violence to the use of drugs, crime, guns, relationships, sex and life in the ghetto. Because of all these issues, I found this an interesting movie with a wide variety of topics to address.
Marijuana has been around for a long time. It's use is once again becoming popular. Although it's not legal, many people use it socially and for medicinal purposes. The Hollywood elite smoke it. Musicians such as Dr. Dre and the Black Crows celebrate it's use. Television shows like Saturday Night Live and Kids In the Hall depict it as harmless fun.
Marijuana fashion has grown into a ten million dollar industry, with the seven branch marijuana leaf showing up on caps, T-shirts, earrings and tattoos. Studies show that after a decade of declining drug use, marijuana use has increased sharply among high school students and college students in the last two years (Duschbaun 8).
In the movie Friday, rap star Ice Cube plays the character Craig. Craig has never smoked marijuana. However, his best friend "Smokey" smokes marijuana everyday. Craig looses his job, leaving him home all day with nothing to do to occupy his time. He just hangs out in the neighborhood with his friends. Smokey tries to convince Craig to try some marijuana. At first Craig doesn't want to. Smokey is persistent. He points out to Craig that he doesn't have to work and doesn't have anything better to . Craig and Smokey eventually sit on the front porch and get stoned. Peer pressure is obviously the only reason Craig gives in. Actually he had other options, but he chose not to use them. Common sense and a simple explanation would have worked for Craig just fine (How to Say No and Keep Your Friends 23) Everyday we are faced with choices. It is up to us to decide what's right and wrong. Craig decides...