I was going to put this in the Pit, but if I, with effort, tone down my language it might stay in Cafe Society.
I am sick and tired of groups who bitch and moan about how Hollywood (which to them usually encompasses ALL movies, even Indies and foreign films) NEVER makes movies for them, but when a movie that would be perfect for them comes out, they don’t go to see it. They don’t support it, and so why should people who finance movies go to the bother and expense of financing other movies suitable for that group? Among many examples, I saw it happen recently with Duma, an absolutely PERFECT family movie, that died a horrible death after it opened in Chicago and nobody went to see it (well, except my husband and me, and Roger Ebert). If it had done well here, it would have opened in other cities too.
I see it happening again with the excellent film Talk To Me . When I saw it on opening day, there were only a few people in the audience, and all of the faces were white. It’s a fantastic movie, and blacks should be embracing it. It tells about a slice of their history, is uplifting, funny, moving, incredibly well-acted (Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Taraji P. Henson, Cedric the Entertainer among others), is directed by a highly respected black woman (Kasi Lemmons, who directed Eve’s Bayou) and, amazingly, is NOT about a white person who has a powerful effect on black people (see Freedom Writers and any number of other empowerment movies). If that weren’t enough, it’s got some damned fine music in it.
It’s dying at the box office.
After playing for 3 weeks, it’s made a lousy $2,097,000 playing in 187 theaters. People in smaller cities will never get a chance to see it in the theater because urban blacks in the cities where it’s playing are not supporting it the way it should be supported. Why? Why will Who’s Your Caddy? make more money in one day than Talk To Me has made in 3 weeks? Talk To Me is not an esoteric indie film. It’s a highly entertaining and interesting mainstream film, a film that whites and blacks and anyone who likes films should enjoy.
Sure, it’ll do ok on DVD, but it still should be doing better in the theater. It’s a damned shame.
Next up: El Cantante, which, by all accounts so far is a good movie, will probably die because Puerto Ricans won’t show up in droves to support it. I hope they prove me wrong.
The Greek community got it right, at least, when they supported My Big Fat Greek Wedding.