Two new movies are hitting the big screen this weekend, “Stomp the Yard” and Freedom Writers.” They are said to be two moving & inspirational films geared towards today’s youth. As the movie promotions begin, I noticed that the casting, plots, and themes all seemed vaguely familiar. Freedom Writers is a re-vamped “Lean on me,” “ Sunset Park,” and the ever-popular” Dangerous Minds.” What I find remarkable about this coincidence is that 2 out the three films mentioned have cast a Caucasian woman as the lead role and the complete opposite, an African-American male, as their “case study.” I imagine that amongst the perceptions of the average viewer this may seem orthodox and accurate. Yet, it is actually a complete insult to the millions of non-white educators who face at-risk youth and problematic situations courageously each day.
“Stomp the Yard” sadly attempts to relate the Black College Experience, the maturation of young adults, and the bonds of fraternities/sororities to a coming of age story about… (I’ve yet to find out.) I can immediately say there are many moviegoers who are tired of seeing pointless dance films. Well now “Stomp the Yard” has earned the rank of a pretty banal dance film jam-packed with celebrities (and semi-celebrities alike) to grab your eye and keep you interested. This is not to say that the choreography is less than amazing, but there isn’t anything in this film that didn’t scream predictable. The most poignant feeling I get when I watch the promos for this flick would reflect the feelings that are rooted within this country.
§ African-Americans excel (at best) at “doing a jig.”
§ There is no better place for a black person to be than in the south.
When you hit the movies this weekend, keep one thing in mind as you purchase your tickets to either one of these films:
§ These producers/directors are really trying to cash in on the weekend of Martin Luther King’s Birthday….compliments of you & your emotions (and your purchasing power).
Think about it: Every time either movie is mentioned, so are the words hope and inspiration.
Now, I haven’t seen either of the films. (I will completely pass on Freedom Writers and Whenever HBO decides to premiere “Stomp the Yard”, I will try my damnedest to catch it the 30th time around.
Peace & Love
That was the first thing that I thought when the preview of Freedom Writers. It seemed like a “Dangerous Minds” type of movie with the pull-in factor that it was based on a true story.
Stomp the Yard was, indeed, a joke. We had more fun roasting the movie in the theater than watching it. Some of the beliefs that they tried to pass off were trite and very unfocused. A lot of the Greeks who I went with were upset that they had to use dancing as a ploy to pull viewers in when that is something that they do not do when it comes to “stomping” or “stepping”.
Really good post, Luce.