Miracle's Boys

In the best tradition of TV's afterschool specials, Miracle's Boys was a limited miniseries originally broadcast on MTV's Noggin network in early 2005. Based on the award-winning juvenile novel by Jacqueline Woodson, this first-rate young adult series—offering a solid combination of urban street-savvy and intelligent character-based drama—revolves around three black/Puerto Rican orphan brothers in Harlem (their father died years ago; their mother just recently). Oldest brother Ty'ree (Pooch Hall)—the 20-year-old legal guardian of 16-year-old Charlie (Sean Nelson) and 14-year-old Lafayette (Julito McCullum)—is struggling to build a career while holding his family together. Charlie's the most deeply affected by his mother's death, still under probation (for a one-time robbery) and flirting with a life of crime, while “Laf” is just a normal teenage kid, sorting through all the usual pressures. What's special about Miracle's Boys is that this easygoing drama never feels forced or artificial, maintaining a high level of respect for the innate decency of its characters without toning down the very real threats to their collective well-being. In keeping with its overall message of responsibility for one's self and one's own actions, this series attracted an impressive lineup of African-American directors including Spike Lee, Ernest Dickerson, Bill Duke, and LeVar Burton. DVD extras include an interview with Lee and a “making-of” featurette. Highly recommended. (J. Shannon)