As we covered in our last post, Hollywood has an extreme history of invalidating the experiences of the lives of marginalized populations. The University of Southern California reported that nearly two-thirds of speaking roles were of white characters in the top 100 films in 2007, accounting for 65.7%.
Passionate campaigns like 2015’s #OscarsSoWhite expressed the prevalent demand for Hollywood and the overall to build inclusivity in the media. In recent years, there has been a significant peak in diverse visibility on the big screen. Movies featuring marginalized populations including Black, Asian and LGBTQ+ communities are taking a slow rise in the media.
Today, this entry will be dedicated to highlighting recent films that have pushed for diversity and inclusion because of their story, the production of its cast and crew and overall impact in Hollywood.
After reading, this post, I encourage you to share other recent movies that authentically celebrated your identity.
Moonlight
This feature was the first LGBTQ+ film and the first with an all-Black cast to win an Academy Award in 2016. This coming-of-age story follows Chiron in three stages of his: childhood, adolescence and adulthood. All exploring the themes of identity, sexuality and the Black experience in America while overcoming emotional, physical and drug abuse.
Moonlight displays a unique and authentic experience of a Black character exploring their sexuality and identity on their own terms. Although the character is placed in a dangerous and unfortunate setting, the film allows the character of Chiron to overcome his tribulations to become his own version of a better man.
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
This Marvel adventure focuses on the animated interpretation of Miles Morales, who is the first Afro-Latino to don the spidey suit. The film focusing on the new spider-man sets him on a challenging journey meeting other diverse Spider-people from parallel universes. The story of Into the Spiderverse sets Miles on a perplexing journey of balancing heroics with his personal identity while outlining the importance of the love and support your friends and family can carry to achieve your goals.
This spidey flick highlights the importance of seeing marginalized characters portrayed as strong superheroes, inspiring new generations of comic fans with adequate representation.
Crazy Rich Asians
The first film adaptation of the 2013 book trilogy, Crazy Rich Asians made epic strides for AAPI representation when it became the first film to feature a majority Chinese descent case since the 1993 drama The Joy Luck Club. The film also made groundbreaking history when it became the highest-grossing romantic comedy in 10 years in the U.S., surpassing 2009's "The Proposal."
The film starring Constance Wu and Henry Golding, embraced traditional Chinese cultures and traditions while giving the movies two leads space to explore an authentic love story. Crazy Rich Asians defined a pinnacle feat in how the AAPI community is represented in the media compared to Hollywood's history of whitewashing these characters. A recent example of the media whitewashing AAPI characters is Scarlett Johansson's in the 2017 film adaptation based on the Japanese manga, Ghost in the Shell.
Based on its impressive $238.5 million box office, it is evident that audiences are interested in new stories based on the experience of non-white characters. Do you think Hollywood changing for the better, or is there still work that needs to be done? What was one interesting aspect you took away from this post? Share your thoughts in the comments below.