The Inkwell Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

The Inkwell Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 2, 2018

In 1991, writer/director Matty Rich made some noise on the independent film scene with “Straight Out of Brooklyn,” his ode to the pains of life in the projects. It was a no-budget endeavor that went out into a world in the mood for such stories of the black experience, managing to clear a modest profit and drum up support for Rich, who was a teenager during production. 1994’s “The Inkwell” represents Rich’s real test as a moviemaker, handed decent money and the support of Disney to create a nostalgic ode to the summer of 1976, tasked with bringing a coming-of-age dramedy from screenwriters Trey Ellis and Paris Qualles to life. Unfortunately, the painfully amateurish elements of “Straight Out of Brooklyn” were no accident, finding Rich belly flopping with his follow-up. Unable to control tone or performance, Rich sprays the screen with random emotions and obnoxiously broad acting, dimming whatever brightness of spirit and power of memory “The Inkwell” is trying to communicate.

In the summer of 1976, teenager Drew (Larenz Tate) is struggling with his life. Keeping company with his doll, Iago, Drew is also emotionally unstable, accused of starting a garage fire that nearly burned down the family home. To cool off, parents Kenny (Joe Morton) and Brenda (Suzzanne Douglas) have decided to spend two weeks with Brenda’s sister, Francis (Vanessa Bell Calloway) and her husband, Spencer (Glynn Turman), in Martha’s Vineyard, hoping to enjoy the pleasures of the local black beach, The Inkwell. Arriving in the new land with social fears, Drew struggles to navigate his way through the community, crushing out on Lauren (Jada Pinkett Smith) and making a connection to Heather (A.J. Johnson), a troubled woman married to Harold (Morris Chestnut), a serial cheater. While Drew learns much about the ways of women and friends, he’s also exposed to therapy, bonding with Dr. Wade (Phyllis Yvonne Stickney), who’s the only one that understands something more profound is happening within the young man.

For what appears to be more of a comedy than a sincere study of a young man’s heart, “The Inkwell” launches on a forbidding note of dangerous behavior. Drew strives to be cute, but he’s not well, spending afternoons pedaling around his neighborhood with Iago strapped to the backseat, enjoying a tight relationship with the doll, who represents the closest thing to a personal connection the boy has. There’s also the question of the garage fire, with his parents not exactly sure if their child started the blaze, but Kenny has his suspicions, doing his best to downplay Drew’s possible insanity, dodging paternal responsibility with a summer vacation in Martha’s Vineyard. Right from the first scene, Rich really has no idea what kind of movie he wants to make, so he tries to make them all, unable to establish “The Inkwell” with some sense of tonal identity before it’s off to the beach, where the feature gets considerably wackier to match the potential of seasonal mischief.

Drew’s arc strives to be meaningful, and perhaps in its originally scripted form, it was. Rich doesn’t have a clue what to do with the kid, instructing Tate to turn Drew into a moron who would clearly hurt himself and others if given the chance. The mystery of the fire is no mystery at all, finding Drew so broadly unhinged, there’s a distinct feeling that murder may enter the tale at some point. Mercifully, “The Inkwell” doesn’t go that far, remaining with a more modest sense of endangerment as it tries to juggle concerns from many of its participants. There’s Heather, who’s trying to play the part of a dutiful wife, only to be betrayed by Harold, with Drew the only one who witnesses his adulterous activities, trying to figure out a way to let his friend know what’s going on. Lauren’s a snob who takes a liking to Drew’s innocence and submission, but the outsider wants something more, experiencing the strain of heartbreak as his object of desire doesn’t return the same feelings. Kenny and Brenda trigger the highlights of “The Inkwell,” with their marital discord representing the only honest moments in the movie, finding the couple struggling to communicate with each other after years of parenting, which has made them drift apart. It’s a shame the entire feature doesn’t focus solely on these two.

“The Inkwell” volleys between wacky antics and hostilities between Kenny, a radical, and Spencer, a conservative, with their antagonisms concerning class divide and cultural considerations spilling over into violence. However, Rich doesn’t play the anger of the moment, transforming their differences into sketch comedy, with Turman launching himself into space with his overacting, destroying any hope for deep reflection on honest questions of personal responsibility and racism. Rich is afraid to get serious with “The Inkwell,” and obvious attempts to butter up the feature with nostalgia via dance parties and local decoration fall flat, immediately identified as Band-Aids on a movie that’s constantly having trouble making sense of itself. Random asides, like a slapstick visit to a nude beach, only reinforce Rich’s considerable limitations as a filmmaker.

The Inkwell Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation brings an older scan of "The Inkwell" to Blu-ray, and the results are average, failing to provide much cinematic life to the low-budget picture. Detail is softer overall, delivering only basic textures for close-ups, and even those lack snap. Costuming and locations aren't defined in full, and dimension is difficult to find with some distances. Colors aren't refreshed, though they have the benefit of period hues, giving the palette boosts of yellows and oranges. Hues are loud but remain somewhat flat for the most part. Locations also lose a bit of organic splendor, with blander blues for outdoor adventures. Skintones are adequate. Delineation isn't problematic. Source is in reasonable shape, but wear and tear is noticeable, including some mild color flashing around the 14:00 mark.

The Inkwell Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't come alive, delivering a basic sonic event that commences with a thumpy funk song and loses interest from there. A few muddy stretches are encountered, possibly due to technical problems, but dialogue exchanges aren't completely threatened, they just register blandly, without brightness of performance. Scoring is insistent, laboring to make sure the audience understands tonality of individual scenes, but instrumentation isn't precise. Atmospherics are clunky, with beach activity fairly basic, almost white noise-ish, and volume inches too close to primary dialogue at times.

The Inkwell Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Matty Rich.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:52, SD) is included.

The Inkwell Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Pushed along by a Spike Lee-esque sound-alike jazz score by Terence Blanchard, "The Inkwell" means to be thoughtful and communicative, especially when it comes to Drew's awakening, using time in therapy to understand his confusion, process his loneliness, and deal with others. It's well- intentioned, but it's handed to Rich, and he doesn't know what he's doing. He's mashing silliness and sobering life developments into an unfunny whole, and "The Inkwell" feels endless as it weaves around tepid scenes of clowning around or teary emoting. The material deserves a more seasoned helmer, and it's telling that after this movie flatlined at the box office, Rich never made another film.