Black movie goers know which movies are for us and which films aren’t. We really don’t like our stories being made into films that center (and humanize) people that hate us. The filmmakers/studio know that by naming the film “The Green Book”, black movie goers...
...are going to be expecting a story about black people trying to safely navigate the country (real history) and instead will get a white savior film. Like folks went to see Detroit thinking it was about the riots...
Anywhoo, I know Mahershela is fantastic in it. He was the best thing about the trailer. As rich as the history behind the creation of ‘The Green Book’ is/was, as amazing as Dr. Don Shirley’s story is, WHY is this film about a random, racist driver and his family?
This feeds into the ignorant anti-Black American stereotype of “Black Americans don’t have any culture/history/mythology” or whatever. That our stories are still both being used while simultaneously erased in 2018 is wild to me. It’s gonna clean up come award season. 🤦🏾♀️
And now, if black filmmakers WANTED to make a film about The Greenbook, guess what it can’t be called🙃. Just like if someone wanted to make a film about the actual Detroit riots, guess what it can’t be called? Then those filmmakers would run into...
...”those stories have been told already/it’s been done before...”. Has it tho???? Have those stories been told??? Stories like this make it hard for the ACTUAL stories to be told. Ain’t that some shit?
Jesus, there are people still alive who had to use the ‘Green Book’ and were traumatized by people like the driver and his family, and they’re supposed to sit & watch this film?With their families? Over the holidays? 😢
It’s frustrating because I know Mahershela is acting his ass off. I like Aragorn...I mean Viggo alot too but this story should not be centering him. Both story’s (The Green Book and Dr. Don Shirley’s) are too rich and historically important to cheapen the film in this way😢
👇🏾👇🏾
