Do The Right Thing

Most films don't matter much beyond the first viewing. Instead, they begin to fade soon after the ending credits start.
But two films I saw this past weekend are as relevant today as they were when they opened more than a decade ago: Do The Right Thing and Boyz In Da Hood.
Both established the careers, resepectively, of Spike Lee and John Singleton. Singleton earned Oscar nominations for best director and best original screenplay, notable achievements considering Singleton was in his early '20s when the movie came out in 1991.
And no one ignored Lee's third film, Do The Right Thing, a searing exploration into race relations on a sweaty-hot summer day on a street corner in Bed-Stuy.
Each movie was a well-textured look at an aspect of black life full of unforgettable characters and poignant moments. Each also was a launching pad for a number of actors: Samuel L. Jackson, Martin Lawrence, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnutt, Nia Long and of course, Ice Cube.
To see the trajectory of these people's career since these movies reveals what the eye for talent Singleton and Lee had.
Even more important, Lee and Singleton made Hollywood take notice and widened the doors for black people in the movie business.