The Bronx USA is the story of an intergenerational friendship that develops between members of the DeWitt Clinton High School classes of 1949 and 2017, set against the history of the Bronx. While the differences between the two generations are obvious, the common bonds that they discover are where the film finds its story.
These bonds of friendship, hard work and shared dreams, while set in The Bronx, can happen anywhere in America. To add context to the decades-long history that transpired between 1949 and 2017, a ‘Greek Chorus’ of famous former Bronx residents - including Robert Klein, Gen. Colin Powell, Melissa Manchester, Chazz Palminteri, Alan Alda, Grand Master Melle Mel, Steve Jordan, Hal Linden and Rob Reiner – tell personal anecdotes about growing up in the old neighborhood, where stickball was played in the 1940’s and 50’s; through the decline of the borough in the 1970’s and ultimately the cultural rebirth in the emergence of hip hop culture, and a new embrace of diversity.
The Bronx is also the birthplace of Salsa, Do-Wop, and Hip-Hop, which is reflected in the film’s soundtrack by legendary musicians Tom Scott, John Robinson and Nathan East. The music ranges from Big Band to jazz, from funk to New Jack Swing. The title song, “Da Bronx” by Charles Fox and Paul Williams was shortlisted for the Oscars.
