Minorities in Movies: Why Diversity Sells

Movies were always made for me, even if I didn't realize it. From a young age, I was the target audience for any number of film genres that studio executives may be interested in presenting my eyeballs with. For starters, I was born white and Hollywood had plenty of white characters to go around, it still does and probably always will. I was born into a middle-class suburban family. My parents worked hard and the fruits of their labors were recognized by my comfortable accommodations, including a sizable house in a respectable Long Island neighborhood. When I went to the movies or watched a film on television I would see many families that reminded me of mine. They lived in similar houses, wore similar clothes, and even interacted in ways I could relate to and find accessible. My accessibility towards most cinematic ventures was as good of a fit as a skeleton key inside a keyhole. The older I got, the more accommodating movies became as the content that I was permitted to view and intellectualize had expanded. I could watch Big White Action Heroes save Pretty White Girls from dangerous situations or watch a steamy love-making scene between two insanely attractive consenting heterosexual Anglo-Saxons. I'm not saying I preferred or even necessarily liked these things, I'm merely acknowledging that they were fully accessible to me due to my race, class, and upbringing.

It is only in the last few years that I've realized just how skewed Hollywood's vision was. How tipped the scales were in "my favor" even though I never asked them to be. It certainly wasn't out of necessity that I watched film and television that reflected the lifestyle that I was living, it was simply because those were the types of films that were available for me. Those were the ones on my radar, a radar so carefully maneuvered by the powers that be in the industry unbeknownst to myself or most movie-goers. Much has changed and evolved since my childhood and much has still remained the same. I believe that we are currently living in the early days of a cinematic revolution of sorts, one that has the potential to break down the walls of gentrification and white-washing that has been so pervasive in mainstream films honestly since Hollywood's very inception. Hollywood Movies are no longer being made just for me, but that also doesn't mean that there is nothing of value that I can take away from watching these films. On the contrary, they have more to teach and show me than many of the films I grew up with and loved, still love to this day. Those films told stories about lives I had already been living or observing around me, these films lift a veil and allow me to enter the lives of others. Upon seeing them I find myself recognizing the immense similarities between our vastly different worlds and more importantly I come to accept and respect the numerous crucial differences. Differences that can divide us if treated poorly by those on the side of the privileged, those like myself. I can relate to the lives and experiences of minorities as told on film, but I can never fully comprehend them or appropriate them into my own life's experiences. Many commercial films that are coming out now are proving that diversity can, in fact, be profitable because movie theater seats are not just filled by people who look like me. They're filled by all different kinds of people, people whose stories and even more simply, whose faces deserve to be recognized and appreciated just as much, perhaps even more so, than my own. Movies should allow us access to previously unexplored lives and cultures, it is no wonder that once Hollywood finally decided to do something to feed this unquenchable thirst, audiences responded in drones. Now that our fellow neighbors are having their chance to shine, we are able to see them for who they really are, and maybe we even find a bit of ourselves in their journeys too. When we all get the spotlight once in a while, our truths and our essences as human beings become illuminated and our minds expand for the better.

Here are some film's I watched recently that helped me recognize the value of diversity onscreen:

1. The BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Based on the true story of a black police officer infiltrating the KKK by being the voice of a white undercover cop in Colorado during the 1970s, Spike Lee's film doesn't have the same pulsating heartbeat that was at play in regards to the social ramifications of injustice explored in his late 80s hit Do the Right Thing (1989). The film does, however, ring undeniable truth to the lasting legacy of racial hatred in America with its many scenes mirroring the attitudes and actions of white supremacists in modern-day to chilling similarity. The film shows that many racists manage to poorly disguise themselves as concerned citizens wishing to maintain a genetic status quo. The absurdity of this argument is so deftly portrayed with a witty retort in this film. The film seems to champion the idea that in order to defeat a racist ideology, blacks and whites must work together to enact change. It delves into the divide at play within the black community itself on the most effective acts of rebellion that should be taking place within society. It doesn't shy away from acknowledging how the work of black men goes often unrewarded, as we see the main character's accomplishment swept under the rug so to speak in the film's final moments. Darkly humorous and often laced with painfully distasteful characters, The BlacKkKlansman provides us with a look at how far we've come, but the real point it is trying to make is that we haven't gone far enough. If we had, the film wouldn't feel as relevant and topical as it does.

2. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Nia Vardalos, of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) fame made a very pointed tweet about this film just before its wide release to theaters. She urged people to see it opening weekend and give it huge box office numbers the same way people championed her passion project so many years earlier. Her hope being that the bigger the numbers, the stronger the message would be that films illustrating diverse cultures and individuals have a demand from mainstream audiences and a place among the other so-called "elites" of commercial cinematic excellence. Certainly, Crazy Rich Asians deserves a spot among them as it is a thoroughly entertaining visual feast of gloriously lavished set designs, populated by energetic and engaging characters who seem to be celebrating more than just a wedding, but the victory of inclusion itself. While the film may not have the "quote-ability" of Vardalos's timeless rom-com, it does share its freshness and originality. The film has something more to say than simply "opposites attract" because it illustrates the very obstacles dedicated lovers overcome to be with one another, particularly familial disputes. It is formulaic when needed but this can be forgiven by the sheer joy-itude of it all. Yes, this is the type of cinematic experience that makes you want to make up words just to adequately describe it. You'll find yourselves relating to these people, their struggles and woes, particularly their family problems despite their immense economic wealth. Viewers come to better understand the often stifling constrictions that come with being a part of the Asian culture for both men and women. At the end of the day the film doesn't really judge the culture one way or another, it merely advocates for individual choice. A person must have the autonomy to choose what they dedicate their lives to be it, their lover, their family, their job, or even all the above. True happiness can never be achieved if one doesn't have a hand in carving out their own life path. In Crazy Rich Asians that life path may include a walk down a submerged wedding aisle while a deeply satisfying Elvis cover plays in the background. Go see it, now, please.

3.  Searching (2018)

This film, unlike Crazy Rich Asians, pays very little mind to the ethnicities of its lead characters and that is precisely one of its many grounded achievements. While some films are designed, rightfully so, to champion and highlight a particular culture and its people, other times the casting of minorities in a role without highlighting their cultural differences can be a progressive act in itself. This film is about a man searching for his missing daughter and his actions, most of them anyway, represent the dire distress and agony that a father of any ethnicity would express as a result of such a traumatic event. Yes, there are droplets of Korean culture, including a treasured family recipe, watered throughout but the film is less concerned about pushing ethnic boundaries than it is with exploring cinematic ones. The plot unfolds in such a uniquely visual way and it is the technology itself that is the true star of the film as well as the way the actors and actresses navigate through it in order to communicate and discover the truth for themselves. The film shows that diversity and inclusivity do not have to dominate a narrative, but should instead be naturally infused throughout a feature film to compliment character arc and plot. This is a film that embraces subtly in so many facets of its production, including in the casting and representation of its core characters.

4.  To All The Boys I've Loved Before (2018)

The last film of the four that I watched in this one-month timespan and in all honesty the most underwhelming. That could've been a simple result of internet overhype, however. The plot tells the story of a young high schooler, Laura-Jean whose life is turned upside down when her youngest sister mails out five love letters to five boys Laura-Jean has pinned secretly for throughout her young life. These letters were never meant to be sent and were a form of self-therapy for Laura-Jean, a way she could announce her feelings without really making an announcement at all. Laura-Jean is left to clean up the mess made by these romantic revelations and of course, she falls in love along the way. The film is far from bad but never seems to live up to its premise as we don't get to know all five of the boys very well. Maybe that's for the best though, it is not their story, after all, it's Laura-Jean's and she makes for a delightfully lovable protagonist, both fiery and sweet, a true millennial rom-com girl. She doesn't represent all Vietnamese young girls any more than Crazy Rich Asians represents the lives of typical Singaporeans. The film does, however, positively promote the idea of representing blended families on screen, something future films in any genre should consider doing more often. It should also be noted that the film is based on a book from a female writer and is adapted for the screen by a female director and screenwriter, Susan Johnson and Sofia Alverez. In this film, we find diversity not only in the casting of minorities (albeit only in the central role, the film is mostly whitewashed otherwise) but in the placement of women at the forefront of the behind the scenes production as well. A story about a young woman, from women and accessible to all different kinds of women around the world. This is an achievement in itself.

5. Meditation Park (2017)

This is a last-minute addition as I watched this film while still working on this blog post. Again here we see diversity both on the screen and behind the camera as the film is written and directed by Mina Shum and tells the story of a Chinese family living in Canada. The protagonist, Maria is the 60-year-old matriarch who dedicated her life to her husband, daughter, and son, the latter of whom she is estranged from for many years due to a disagreement he had with his father. Upon privately discovering that her husband is having an affair, she opts not to disclose this knowledge to anyone and instead begins to assert her own personal autonomy into her formerly traditional status as an immigrant housewife. The film is heartfelt and sincere through and through, rarely feeling gimmicky or false and often finds humor in even the most depressing of situations. Sandra Oh gives another career marking performance in the supporting role as Maria's daughter struggling with defining her own identity in the many roles her life has asked her to portray. The film is available on Netflix currently and comes highly recommended from this blogger for anyone interested in a story that blends, culture, tradition, and humor into a well-fitted 94-minute narrative.

In the end, we must all be champions for diversity on the screen if we are to call ourselves true appreciators of the cinematic arts. We must root for those who are still not yet being adequately represented on screen and there are indeed many who still need to be. People with disabilities, Muslims, bisexuals, and trans individuals just to name a diverse few that still have little to no proper representation in mainstream Hollywood Cinema. The movies should always be an opportunity to learn and experience lives yet unlived. How many lives are still out there waiting? How much longer will they have to wait? Don't just ask the question, be the answer, and support minority centered films.