As we look back at 2018, I think we’ll see it as a year of inclusion. Sure, the vast majority of films released within the past year starred straight white characters, but for once, it seems as though real representation has come to Hollywood. With mainstream movies focusing on African Americans, homosexuals, Asians and Hispanics coming out and being well received, the tides are finally changing.
“BLACK PANTHER”
Chadwick Boseman stars as the title character in “Black Panther.” Photo courtesy of thewrap.com
Marvel’s megahit this past February was, without a doubt, a game changer. Director Ryan Coogler took the relatively straightforward story of “Black Panther” and made it an international sensation. Its all-star cast, including but certainly not limited to Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan and Angela Bassett, the script by Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole and top-notch action scenes all came together to yield a real game-changer of a movie.
Grossing over $1 billion and getting significant Oscar buzz, it seems likely that, even if it doesn’t win Best Picture, “Black Panther” will likely be considered the movie of 2018.
“LOVE, SIMON”
Directed by “Riverdale” Executive Producer Greg Berlanti, “Love, Simon” stars Nick Robinson as closeted teenager Simon. Photo courtesy of foxmovies.com
Coming of age movies are nothing new; John Hughes made a whole career of making them. However, they have almost exclusively been centered around straight protagonists. “The Breakfast Club” “Sixteen Candles” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” gave teens in the 80’s something to relate to, and those films are still revered to this day (even though star Molly Ringwald pointed out how they’ve become problematic). In 2018, “Love, Simon” based on the teen novel “Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda” has finally given gay teenagers a film to call their own.
Is “Love, Simon” groundbreaking? I would certainly say yes. Its protagonist, Simon, is a closeted gay teenager, but the film treats him like any other John Hughes lead. I think that’s incredibly important. While “Love, Simon” is in large part about homosexuality, it makes the whole journey of self-acceptance and coming out not only relatable but understandable to heterosexual viewers. I imagine that closeted teenagers watching “Love, Simon” will feel a sense of normalcy and sameness that teens in older generations weren’t privy to. It’s a film that wouldn’t have been made even 10 years ago, and in my eyes, that’s what progress looks like.
“CRAZY RICH ASIANS”
“Crazy Rich Asians” was the surprise hit of the summer. Photo courtesy of thetalonnews.com
The last time an all-Asian cast led a film was 1993’s “The Joy Luck Club” which means that for the entirety of my first 22 years, I never saw a movie with an all-Asian cast. That, of course, changed this past August when “Crazy Rich Asians” based on the Kevin Kwan novel of the same name, was released. Starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Akwafina, the romantic comedy grossed over $200 million at the worldwide box office.
For decades, Asian characters have been tossed to the sidelines, at best playing the quirky best friend. “Crazy Rich Asians” proves that people will go and support a film starring an Asian cast. There have been rumors about the remaining two novels in Kwan’s trilogy being adapted, and with the monetary results and positive word of mouth “Crazy Rich Asians” received, they would be silly not to capitalize on its success.
“ROMA”
“Roma” is director Alfonso Cuarón’s follow up to “Gravity.” Photo courtesy of cineavatar.it
Three of the past five recipients of the Best Director Oscar have been Hispanic. Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Iñárritu and Alfonso Cuarón were all born and raised in Mexico. That on its own should once again prove the changing tides in the entertainment industry. Now that these directors have industry respect and recognition, they’re able to create their passion projects, and for Cuarón, that project is “Roma.”
Already an awards frontrunner, “Roma” is a black and white, Spanish language film that tells a family’s story in Mexico City during the early 1970s. The movie’s exclusive release to Netflix on December 14 shouldn’t inspire fear or worry in viewers. Would you spend money to buy a theatrical ticket to a small, black and white, foreign film? I would, but that’s probably in small part why my friends make fun of my “less than mainstream” film choices. In actuality, “Roma” is poised to do much better on streaming, where it will be immediately available for everyone with a Netflix account.
Judging by the critics who have seen “Roma” it’s apparently deeply moving and personal to Cuarón. That’s the luxury of winning an Oscar; you’re essentially on the top of the world and get to pick the projects that interest you. After his statue and acclaim for helming “Gravity,” Cuarón decided to make a film that recounts his experiences growing up in Mexico City. The other thing that makes “Roma” especially interesting is that it is likely to be the first Netflix release to snap a Best Picture nomination. Sure, other streaming services like Amazon Prime’s “Manchester by the Sea” did this first a few years ago, but Netflix seems to be on a whole different level of popularity and international reach.
Those four movies aren’t the only examples of how 2018 can be considered especially inclusive, but I think they underline that point quite well. Were there any other movies that came out in 2018 that you felt shined a light on an often tossed-to-the-sidelines group? Let me know in the comments below!
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