Crazy Rich Asians Is Part of a New Tide
Over the past year and a half we have seen a change in Hollywood. Yes, a small change, but a change nonetheless. Get Out fever spread like wild fire, garnishing a ton of awards (including the Acadamy Award for Best Original Screenplay) and buzz beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Following up the next year we saw Black Panther break a medley of records, on it’s way to being one of the best Marvel films to date. In one of the most unheralded story lines of the summer we had Spike Lee’s Blackkklansman get touted by critics and movie goers alike, and less than a week later another movie shined, Crazy Rich Asians. I know the title is deceiving, but it is another hit, showcasing that America has indeed found a way to move on from the regular cookie cutter content that it has been feeding itself for over 75 years. We are ready to see more representation of minorities in film, and it doesn’t matter what it is, it will be consumed and talked about. As everyone has already been here, it’s nice to see Hollywood start catching up to 2018. Content, especially movies, should be lauded or critiqued not based on color or creed, but quality.
Only a few years back we witnessed an Oscars that dealt with the “Oscars So White” retort that made the industry look for solutions in itself. The representation of minorities in the film industry is miniscule. There have been only 4 women nominated for Best Director Oscars in the history of the awards. FOUR. From 1987 to 2015 there were 45 African American actors nominated. Eleven of these times were either Morgan Freeman or Denzel Washington. As minorities are on pace to NOT be a minority in the next 20 years, this is deploring.
Television has done a great job of following the flow of the landscape. Beyond shows like The Fresh Prince or George Lopez Show, we have had Arabs (looking at you Rami Malek), Asians, Latinos, LGBT, and more in leading roles and important parts of casts. Yet, television which is probably more influential on a day to day has not bled into it’s film counterparts. Maybe that’s changing.
Whether you cared for Crazy Rich Asians or not, it is a step in the right direction. In a world where talent is finally being rewarded (for once), we are coming to terms with the fact that there is more out there for us to see outside of Transformers 17 and Fast and the Furious in Space (although hearing Dom’s speech on the Moon would be pretty incredible). Make sure to check out not only Crazy Rich Asians, but Blackkklansman, Blind Spotting, and more this summer. If not for the diversity but for the quality.
