Indie film, “Dear White People” written by Justin Simien, hit the big screens Oct. 17 after scoring big at the Sundance Film Festival and has caught the attention of many due to its creative promotional videos.
I recently went to see the film and was surprised to discover the film was only playing in two theaters in the Indianapolis area. I attended a late showing and was excited to see so many people, of all ages, supporting the film. In a perfect world, I would have loved to have seen more diversity in the audience as it was filled with only Black people. This is a movie that benefits not only Black people but white people and other cultures as well.
The film follows four Black college students at a fictional university who come from all walks of life and have different agendas when it comes to race and ethics. There is:
• The girl from Chicago’s low income area who pretends to be rich
• The guy who is pressured to reveal himself in a specific way to fit in by all races
• The girl who is biracial but feels she has to choose a side of race
• The guy who is confused about who he really is but is aware of his surroundings
The film addresses what it’s like to be Black in a predominately white society through humor and quick-witted lines. It shows the everyday external struggles we experience as well as the internal ones we have within ourselves as Black people.
For me, the most interesting part of the movie involved the main plot and the meat of it all when a campus event takes place which I found completely absurd. I don’t want to give all of the details away because this is a movie you should definitely see and support. It’s full of clever actions, thought provoking topics and superb acting by popular names such as Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Dennis Haysbert, Brandon Bell and Teyonah Parris.
Judge the movie for yourself. Viewings are at Landmark Theaters at Glendale and AMC Showplace at Washington Square.
View the trailer below:
