`THE WOOD' ISN'T ALL THAT FRESH.

Byline: Marla Matzer Staff Writer

A wedding provides a convenient framing device for films about young people who are in transition but haven't lived enough to have had many other compelling live experiences.A slightly sinking feeling overcomes the viewer about halfway through ``The Wood,'' when the realization sets in that its wedding story is just that - a framing device - and that not much fresh and interesting is really going to happen.

The Wood of the title is Inglewood, described near the outset as ``a small suburb of Los Angeles.'' Told in flashback, the movie follows three kids as they grow up and make good in the Wood. Though we don't see them giving much thought to school beyond girls and basketball, they all seem to end up getting into good colleges and making decent money as young adults.

As the movie unfolds, it becomes apparent that it's not going to deal with the fact that everyone in the movie is African-American - though the constant use of the ``n'' word by the all-black cast may make white viewers a bit uncomfortable.

Filmmakers aren't necessarily obligated to deal with race. But the movie misses many dramatic opportunities by glossing over issues particular to growing up black in a neighborhood like Inglewood. For example, even in a scene where the three young friends get pulled over by police after accidentally falling in with two hoods, both officers are black.

Instead, this is a sweet but familiar coming-of-age tale. Mike, Slim and Roland meet in junior high school and become fast friends. In high school, they make a bet on who will lose his virginity first. All of these scenes are played not by the film's top-billed stars - Omar Epps, Richard T. Jones and Taye Diggs - but by three young actors.

These three - Sean Nelson, Duane Finley and Trent Cameron - are all talented. Nelson is especially effective as the young Mike, who moves from North Carolina and must learn to fit into the Southern California culture.

Their coming of age mainly consists of learning the ways of love, 16-year-old style: that is, how to ask a girl to dance, how to mask bad breath and how to conceal an embarrassingly inappropriate erection. It's sometimes charming and mildly amusing, but that's as far as it goes.

In the too-brief scenes set in the present, Roland (Taye Diggs) is agonizing over giving up his freedom by getting married. The self-styled playboy of the three friends, he is the first one to decide to tie the knot. But beyond the superficial reasoning that no young man really wants to be ``tied down,'' we get little insight into why he's gone on a drunken jag just hours before his wedding - or why his friends remain adamantly single. Is the widespread absence of fathers in their world perhaps a cause? We can only speculate.

It would be nice to see these three fine actors - Diggs, Epps and Jones - together again in a film with more teeth in it. This film will likely win some modest popularity among the African-American audience, but probably won't, on its own, win the actors the more widespread praise they deserve.

THE FACTS

The film: ``The Wood'' (R; strong language and sexual content).

The stars: Taye Diggs, Omar Epps, Richard T. Jones.

Behind the scenes: Written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa. Produced by Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa and David Gale.

Running time: One hour, 44 minutes.

Playing: Citywide.

Our rating: Two and one half stars.

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Photo

Photo: Richard T. Jones, left, Omar Epps and Taye Diggs play three lifelong friends trying to finally grow up in ``The Wood.''