Trailer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MM8OkVT0hw
Rating- PG-13
Genre- crime/drama
Warnings- disturbing imagery/minor language
This is a movie that was used to encourage people to speak out against racial injustice, and nowadays a lot of people need that push to fight for their rights more than ever. I don't think for a second that our modern day world is worse than the past, or else I'd be more likely to be discriminated against for my multiracial background or even killed without anyone having a shed of sympathy for my soul. However, that doesn't mean I think everything is perfect- there's still a lot of things society must fix.
Racism is still alive and 'The Hate U Give' demonstrates how this plagues our society, how those fighting for justice could both promote or hinder their cause, and how the actions of an individual can help change the world- no matter how big or small.
We see this story play out through the narrative of Starr Carter (Amanda Stenberg), a teenage girl who struggles to figure out how to stand up for her best friend after he was killed by a police officer. She wonders how to balance between fighting for her friend and staying hidden for her own protection. To what extent can she exert herself to the media to talk about this tragedy without compromising her own safety? The audience and I were there to watch the events unravel and find out for ourselves, and also see if this movie addressed the issues in a mature manner.
Keeping that in mind, did the movie give me an enlightening experience or is it something that I hate with a passion?
This movie was an adaption from Angie Thomas' book of the same name that was published last year in 2017. As far as the movie version goes, the plot was well crafted, with just a few hiccups. These hiccups ranged from minuscule to why did that even matter to the story. As I mentioned earlier, Starr turns to activism after the death of her friend, but most of the movie follows the build up to that point. I really appreciated how the film addressed the inner turmoil of Starr and showed that even till the very end of the story, you can tell she has hesitation with the lengths she willing to go towards to protest.
One of the major reasons why Starr doesn't want to speak for Khalil is because of her fear of being judged, since she attends a private, mostly caucasian high school. Not only does she face the grief of losing a friend, but the worry that others will perceive her differently because of it. She feels the need to battle between the side of her that lives in her neighborhood riddled with looming threats from gangs in the area, and the side of her that she forces herself to be a more polite and quiet person at school to not have students react to her negatively. I would imagine that some people would find this behavior to be unreal, like who needs to change themselves for two groups of people?
I think deep down everyone knows this feelings to an extent. Think of it from a very basic level: the way you act at work is normally different from how you act at home. That is Starr, but much more intense. These problems that Starr goes through as a consequence of being a witness to the shooting felt all too real and got me a little bit emotional by how Stenberg portrayed Starr's character.
With that being said, I wasn't a fan with something that she did in the story. These are one of the hiccups that left me with a bad taste in my mouth, and while I can't reveal it in this non-spoiler section, it is something that I can say has me wondering what the intentions were for adding that part in. It happens early on in the story, and it just seems to ruin Starr's character for me. I still don't know what it was supposed to add to the dynamic of the plot, or if the result of what Starr did cut out at the last minute. Let me put it this way: If the shooting didn't occur, then what Starr did would have been made into a bigger deal that the way it was dealt in the movie.
The characters who supported the movie like Starr's family was likable yet different unlike any family I've seen portrayed on screen. They had their own set of problems in their dynamic, like having children who didn't have the same pair of parents and starting a family at an early age. I liked how they had that going on, yet they were not shamed for it. It showed that families who go through similar things such as that are not destined to have a toxic life together, but can improve from the mistakes made in the past.
Starr's friends however came off as more cookie cutter stereotypes that reminded me that this was an adaptation of a young adult novel. You have the friend who always wants to fight people, the friend who is clueless to the racial injustice in the world, and just students in Starr's school that use slang to sound black (even though there is no way to sound black, white, or any other race). It was a little annoying to say the least, as they come off more and more predictable the longer you watch the film. Starr does have a love interest though who breaks out of the stereotype. I ended up really liking him; my expectations on how he would handle Starr's dilemma was far from what really happens and that pleasantly surprised me.
The character who ends up dying by the police officer was also not so bad. To put it lightly, he is revealed to not be such a perfect person, but I think that's a point that the writer was trying to make. Since this person dies by an officer, it is easy to vilify the victim due to his history rather than focus on the fact that he was the one killed and not the officer. Trust me when I say that what he portrays in the film wasn't always the smartest things to do, but the movie is trying to tell us that that alone isn't deserving of death.
The movie also depicts how the way people fight for a cause can also show them to be more of the villains of their own cause than the people who are actually fighting against them. It shows how causing physical damage to the community (example- smashing car windows, yelling in people's faces) isn't the best way to go about getting what you want. A final thing that I was surprised that the film even brought up with the officer's point of view on things when interrogating someone in general and why being defensive to them could put someone in more danger, and why they need to ask you a lot of questions before letting you go. I see that the story was giving two sides of the spectrum and it's absolutely important to hear from both sides.
Which leads me to another hiccup.
A lot of these scenes, while necessary, came off a little forced. It was like I was hearing a public service announcement on why black people were discriminated or how you should act when you're pulled over. Each of these scenes were explained very carefully and resonated with me. I don't want to sound like I think it's wrong to teach your viewing audience about these things, but I must admit it was a little amusing how it suddenly jumped from the film to, "remember that you must always do this and that." It's like when you're watching a television show, and a character goes, "I could never leave home without my Dasani water. It is the best water that you could ever carry with you," doesn't it take you a little out of the story?
Nevertheless, this doesn't totally destroy the message that the movie. At least with this issue, I totally get why it had to be done. Sometimes people need to be reminded of the gravity of how serious racism is and how alive is still is on this Earth. I think this is a nice movie to watch if you want to learn about the social issues still roaming in our society, why it happens, how it happens, and what we could do about it. Since this was adapted from a young adult novel, there's not much to worry about as far as anything sexual or violence.
Aside from the actual shooting that propels the story, there's nothing extremely bloody. There are a couple of swear words here and there, including the N word that you could hear playing in the background during one of the scenes but that's mostly in the beginning of the movie. This is a movie best seen with anybody who is emotionally mature enough to handle issues like this, because it could drive you to discuss these sort of issues and whether or not you agree with the actions that took place in the story. I wouldn't watch it again, but I could see this being played yearly for other people- like a teacher plays it in class to discuss racism and the like.
I give 'The Hate U Give' a 4 out of 5 stars.
Youtube Link Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evm5pIY9iys
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
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I hope their father repeated his lesson to baby Sekani. Does he think the baby will remember what to do when he's pulled over? (I'm like half joking here, I'm sure he repeated it to Sekani at some point)
My mom really didn't care for the public displays of affection between the mother and father. Every time it happened (which was only like two times) she sounded so disgusted. It was funny.
Some people may think that it's not that hard to just be yourself in both your neighborhood and at school, but as a afro Latina who lives in a dangerous neighborhood and went to private schools, I can say that it is difficult. You feel like you need to be someone else, more proper. At the same time, no matter how proper you are, you don't feel like you fit it.
I can tell that this came from a young adult novel. Yes, people can appropriate culture, but I don't think it's always this noticeable with how these kids are talking. Maybe I'm just ignorant that way.
Why does every movie need a romantic interest? And better yet, her boyfriend is white. So I'm guessing now that he's not going to understand what she is going through and it's going to be too much for him, so he'll leave her. Only to realize that he was wrong and he'll come running back saying that he'll help with her activism against racism.
Are girls that obvious with their disdain for people? Those two girls glare straight at Starr as she's kissing Chris. She's just darker skinned, she's not a monster!
Starr reminds me a lot of myself, how out of place she feels at the party. It's like you should be at home because you're around your people, but you're not.
I should listen to more Tupac, he does have some powerful messages in his songs.
What happened to Natasha? Did she become a teen mom? That's the vibe I'm getting.
Is Khalil going to throw himself on Starr? Is this the route the story is taking to not make him feel like a complete victim when he dies?
Starr, you have a boyfriend! How are you going to admit that after you kissed Khalil? This made me like Starr way less than I did starting in. If this scene is revealed to Chris, I feel like that would just make things more muddled in the whole story.
I know that some people don't cooperate easily with police, but in this day and age, if you're an African American people especially, why would you argue with the police so much? This is a universe where the killing of innocent black people is a normalized weekly occurrence. What are you doing, Khalil?
I liked how Starr's actress reacted to the shooting. It didn't feel forced or underwhelming, it's actually how anyone would react. It made me a bit emotional.
Was it necessary for the uncle to bring up that he cared for Starr while the father was in jail? It's not very helpful to the situation at hand, but I have a feeling that it was addressed better in the book than how it was suddenly brought up in the movie.
I forgot Khalil's grandmother had cancer. This makes things even sadder, but hey, life is like that.
I can't say that I know how Starr feels when it comes to wanting to stay hidden so her friends at school don't pity her, but I can say that I would probably want the same thing for myself- to not have all the attention on me. It's sad because I know why I wouldn't want to. It's not so much than I think people would pity me, but more so the issue that comes up later on in this film- that you'll be targeted.
I feel bad for Chris now. I think he's going down the genuinely wants to help Starr out route and Starr is totally blowing him off. She's coming off like a insensitive girlfriend. I know that sounds awful considering what she goes through, but remember she cheated on Chris. If Khalil didn't die, that would've been made a bigger deal and probably the nail in the coffin that makes Starr and Chris break up.
When Starr's friend say, "Hey Daddy!" to King, I thought that wasn't her daddy, but her daddy. You know what I'm talking about.
Okay, this fried chicken joke confuses me. I know why it's offensive and I also know why Hailey said it because the movie briefly shows them eating chicken earlier. On that note, was this to show how Hailey has racist tendencies or how Starr is easily offended? Because they're both justified in their actions, and if you think about it, Starr might be more in the wrong because she got angry at Hailey for making the joke. Hear me out, if I just had chicken with my friends and then one of them made a joke about it, I'd connect the two and realize that they're not playing on racial stereotypes. Then again, Starr just lost a close friend so her mind was fuzzy. Ultimately, I think the part just threw me for a loop.
Also, this is one of the many moments where Starr and Hailey will have these repeated stand offs like this: Hailey: *says racist comment* Starr: *whips her head at her angrily* ...what? This occurs at least three times.
I see what the story is saying: The policeman shooting Khalil was undoubtably wrong and the justice system is failing Khalil, yet the way that his supporters protest for his justice comes off unorganized and violent. Of course people are angry, but from the looks of it, their rallying won't do any good if they look like they'd rather fight people for what they want rather than peacefully protest. I know that even peaceful protests don't get heard sometimes, but I understand what the movie is trying to promote.
Now this other scene confused me even more, when one of King's goons fatally shot Natasha. Who the hell kills a child for playing in the street, in the daytime? I wouldn't argue that children get killed for stupid reasons, it happens a lot unfortunately. However, the way Starr talks about it seems so forced. "Yeah, my friend Natasha and I were playing in the street and someone shot her dead because we wouldn't get out of the way." Like, the guy didn't just ask them to move at first? That's such an extreme move.
That blurred vision in the interview is not helping Starr. I would know right away, if she was my friend, that that was her.
I'm betting that the father dies while protecting his family but he'll be framed as the bad guy.
Overkill with forcing the dad against the window so his family can see him getting arrested, huh? I know, I know, things like this happen...
I hate to see Sekani cry...
Why is the dad so angry with the kids? He's placing his anger on the wrong people.
Oh, that's why he was upset. I still like the dad...
Okay, I get white kids saying slang to sound cool and being ignorant to racial injustice. However, white girls playing basketball games is going too far! I know not one white girl who plays basketball games!
"Police lives matter" The way Hailey says her lines sounds so forced, like she's saying the typical ignorant lines that people say. Maybe that's the point...
I like the other friend; she hasn't spoken a lot but she doesn't seem to be like Hailey. I hope she gets a big moment where she stands up for Starr.
"He kissed me a second time that night" Starr, if Chris hears that he'll break up with you. If I were Chris, I'd do it regardless of the events that occurred. Again, if Khalil didn't die that kiss would have been brought up and Starr would have lost Chris.
Oh my God, Starr is wearing sneakers to the prom. What a social problem; we must stare at her obviously so we reveal our disdain!
(Kind of the quote from the movie) Chris: I see you, Starr/Starr: You only see my skin color/Chris: I see you.../ Chris' repeat of his statement wouldn't make me feel better, it would just make me think he didn't know what else to say and is convincing me that what he said makes sense.
Hey, I have a family member named Chris. It's not just a white name!
The father will die or the brother will. More likely the brother in my opinion.
It's nice for the uncle to explain to Starr why the police have to inspect people pulled over, their intentions for asking certain questions. It gives the audience a chance to realize that with good cops, they're not trying to invade your space, but rather protect yourself or the people in your car. With good cops, which leads me to saying how it's also interesting for the movie to show how even black people could be against their own race while being blind of it like the uncle was. I like this scene a lot.
People were laughing at the scene where Starr is threatening Hailey with the hairbrush. I must admit, it did come off more funny than it was intending to be.
I am so impressed with how they handled Seven's mother. It took me until Starr told her "thank you" that I realized that her yelling at her kids to leave the house was because she wanted to protect them from King. That's an amazing mother right there. Also, the way they cut the scene off before we see what King does to the mom is so chilling to me. Great work.
Are the drivers really King's goons who will try to kill Starr and Seven? I got a bad feeling about this.
Oh come on, are they really going to kill Sekani? No one wants to see a child die, but I don't know...maybe it would make this movie more impactful if Sekani is killed. It shows how we corrupt our children with racist and gun violence and such an early age. A tragedy that could never be restored- oh, they're not going to kill him. Good.
I was expecting Seven's mother to have bruises on her face or something at the graduation.
So...does Chris just never find out about Starr's kiss with Khalil? Does he know that if Khalil was still alive Starr probably would have cheated on him more? Will there be a sequel to explain this? Probably not. I'm angry.
There were a lot more Harry Potter references in this than I expected.
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