History Film / BabyBoy

* NotWhatItLooksLike: Jody comes to Yvette's apartment to pick up Jojo and [[spoiler:sees Rodney and his goons lounging around, who then threaten him as he leaves]]. Considering this happens not too long after [[spoiler:he finds out that Yvette wrote and spoke to Rodney in prison, even asking for money from Jody to fund this]], Jody's reaction is pretty justified, but [[spoiler:Rodney actually forced his way into the apartment and refuses to leave, especially with his new vendetta against Jody]].

* RuleOfSymbolism: Jody is constantly referred to as "[[ArcWords baby]] [[TitleDrop boy]]", reflecting his immaturity for a man in his twenties. Many of his behaviors such as eating candy, watching cartoons, and his reliance and protectiveness over his mother are all typically seen as infantile. He is also bald, not unlike a newborn baby. Finally, there's the very opening scene of Jody, completely naked, in a giant womb, being birthed by his mother.

The movie concerns Joseph "Jody" Summers (Creator/TyreseGibson), a young, selfish, immature black man in South Central LA who wants to live large but doesn't have a job. He's got two children by two different women, Yvette (Creator/TarajiPHenson) and Peanut (Tamara [=LaSeon=] Bass), and has been living with his mother Juanita (Adrienne-Joi Johnson) for several years. As Jody deals with the increasing pressures of adult responsibility, he also contends with his troubled best friend Sweetpea (Omar Gooding) and new adversary Rodney (Music/SnoopDogg). And then there's his mother's new live-in boyfriend Melvin (Creator/VingRhames), a well meaning reformed gangster who Jody openly disrespects and ridicules. Melvin agrees with Juanita that her son should grow up, move out, and move on.

* ComingOfAgeStory: In a way, yeah, only the protagonist is over 20 years old.

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: Melvin, despite most appearances, is a pretty good dude who treats Jody's mom very well...and bones her well too, if the "African Squat Fuck" scene is anything to go by

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Quite a few. Jody first has one of these after he [[spoiler: slaps Yvette during a heated argument that results in a brief breakup]]. [[spoiler: Melvin]] has one as well, late in the film, after a violent confrontation with [[spoiler: Jody]]. Afterwards, [[spoiler: he]] tearfully admits that it was a mistake. Lastly, after [[spoiler: Rodney is killed by Jody and Sweetpea in retaliation for his rape attempt on Yvette - Jody is so overwhelmed with guilt and remorse that he attempts suicide. Luckily, Melvin catches him in the act and takes away his gun.]]

* RealMenCook: Jody is not pleased to encounter a half-naked Melvin in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for Juanita.

* ShoutOut: Tupac Shakur was originally going to star as Jody, but was infamously murdered in 1996 before production got underway. The film pays homage to him to referring to him as Jody's older (and murdered) brother Ray-Ray and having a huge mural of him in Jody's room as well as other family photos showing Tupac in this role.

* SweetTooth: Jody constantly snacks on lemon drops.

* WallBangHer: In an early scene, Melvin does this to Juanita... but quickly ends up changing to "the African Squat Fuck", in which he ''squat-hops across the room, while he's screwing her.''

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Jody and Sweet Pea turn off the power to Yvette's house while Rodney is alone inside and ambush him when he comes out to check it, ultimately gunning him down in the streets. It's implied that Yvette was in on this scheme. None of them are shown facing any repercussions. The same goes for beating up the little gangsters that jumped Jody.]]

* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Averted in the first post-opening credits scene, in which Yvette aborts what would have been her second child with Jody. She's still treated sympathetically, as she's heartbroken during the procedure.

* YourCheatingHeart: Jody is known for this. When confronted about this by Yvette, he admits to it but states that he ''fucks'' other women and makes love to her. He had stopped cheating at that point but told her he still was since he figured she wasn't going to believe him anyway.

-->'''Melvin''': I told that little nigga, don't f**k with me, but you wanna f**k with a nigga right? I tried to be a good motherf***king nigga, but I can't be cause lil' bitch ass niggas like you wanna f**k with me. You wanna f**k with a nigga right? You wanna nigga who got two strikes on him to go to jail for life brotha, if that's what you want.
-->'''Jody''': F**k it, I'm leaving man!.
-->'''Melvin''': F**k no, no, I'm leaving, I can't live like this!

The movie concerns Joseph "Jody" Summers, a young, selfish, immature black man in South Central LA who wants to live large but doesn't have a job. He's got two children by two different women, Yvette and Peanut, and has been living with his mother Juanita for several years. As Jody deals with the increasing pressures of adult responsibility, he also contends with his troubled best friend Sweetpea and new adversary Rodney. And then there's his mother's new live-in boyfriend Melvin, a well meaning reformed gangster who Jody openly disrespects and ridicules. Melvin agrees with Juanita that her son should grow up, move out, and move on.

* OedipusComplex: Melvin suggests that Jody suffers from this, given his evident resentment of Melvin's presence. The film makes it clear that Melvin is mostly right.

* ShoutOut: Tupac Shakur was originally going to star as Jody, but was infamously murdered before production got underway. The film pays homage to him to referring to him as Jody's older (and murdered) brother and having a huge picture of him hanging up in Jody's room as well as other family photos showing Tupac in this role.

* HollywoodCalifornia: Specifically, Watts.

* KickTheDog: Or more accurately, Kick The Fort. Rodney kicks down his ex-girlfriend's son's pillow fort, to drive home that he is not at all a pleasant guy.
** [[spoiler:Jody kicking Yvette out of his mother’s house, after she came to pick up Jojo, in the pouring rain since he believes she's leaving him for Rodney]].

* ManChild: Jody is around 20 years old, still lives with his mother, doesn't have his own car (he constantly drives Yvette's car).

* GlassCannon: The "little gangsters" that jumped Jody earlier start crying once Sweet Pea punches each of them in the jaw later on. He also gives one of them a spanking with his belt.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Rodney attempts to [[spoiler:rape Yvette, but Jojo catches them in the act desperately begs for him to leave his mother alone. Realizing that this will upset/traumatize the child, he begrudgingly stops and leaves the room.]]
* GlassCannon: The "little gangsters" that jumped Jody earlier start crying once Sweet Pea punches each of them in the jaw later on.

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Jody and Sweet Pea turn off the power to Yvette's house while Rodney is alone inside and ambush him when he comes out to check it, ultimately gunning him down in the streets. It's implied that Yvette was in on this scheme. None of them are shown facing any repercussions.]]

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Sweetpea gives one of the teenage thugs who tried to rob Jody at the liquor store one of these...with his belt. Jody laughs at first but upon realizing how cruel it actually is, he stops laughing and takes pity on the teen.

** [[spoiler:Jody kicking Yvette, who came to pick up Jojo, in the pouring rain since he believes she's leaving him for Rodney]].

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Sweetpea gives one of the thugs who robbed Jody at the liquor store one of these...with his belt.

* WhatTheHell,Hero?: Jody has one of these while watching Sweet Pea mercilessly beat a teenage boy.

The movie concerns Joseph "Jody" Summers, a young, selfish, immature black man in South Central LA who wants to live large but doesn't have a job. He's got two children by two different women, Yvette and Peanut, and has been living with his mother Juanita for several years. As Jody deals with the increasing pressures of adult responsibility, he also contends with his troubled best friend Sweetpea and new adversary Rodney. And then there's his mother's new live-in boyfriend Melvin, a reformed gangsta who agrees with Juanita that her son should grow up, move out, and move on.

* ScaryBlackMan: Juanita's new boyfriend Melvin appears like this to Jody for much of the film. Of course, he is played by Creator/VingRhames.

* RapeAsDrama: Late in the film, [[spoiler: Rodney attempts to rape Yvette, but only stops when her young son comes into the room.]]

* Hypocrite: Subverted with Jody. While at about the midpoint of the movie, Jody has stopped cheating, even turning down advances from other women, Jody's reaction towards the implication that [[spoiler:Yvette is cheating on him with Rodney is paradoxical considering all of the times Jody has cheated on her]].

* SuspiciouslyAproprosMusic: Jody and Jojo listen to the song “Just a Baby Boy” as they ride in the car near the beginning.