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| “We’ve All Been There” (“we” being young white males). |
This guest post by Candice Frederick previously appeared at her blog Reel Talk and is cross-posted with permission.
Lately there has been a lot of attention paid to the new crop of coming of age films turning up everywhere, most recently The Way, Way Back and The Spectacular Now. I get it; we all want to revisit that warm and fuzzy (and sometimes awkward) time in our lives when we weren’t quite sure who we were and what we wanted to become, but we were excited–or fearful–about the possibilities.
But have you noticed that many of these films share one glaringly common theme among them? I’m talking about the fact that in most cases they’re about young white males, or even their older–and apparently still directionless–counterparts. Michael Cera and Paul Rudd aren’t the only ones who could play wondrously clueless wusses on screen. What about all the young girls who struggle with the pains of adolescence, or women who may for whatever reason be looking for a new beginning, or even the characters of color who must contend with a whole other set of challenges as they set out into the world on their own? They’re inexplicably–and unforgivably–being overlooked.
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| Another white male protagonist. |
While Hollywood has promoted and accepted this trend (relying on the fact that some of the themes may be universal), audiences are starting to take notice and voice their discontent about it. Black Girl Nerds posted a piece questioning
“Where Are All The Twenty-Something Black Actresses?” The writer lamented over the fact that young actresses of color are rarely sought after for coming of age tales. You’ll also notice that whenever many writers
construct a list of the top coming of age films, you’d be hard pressed to find many (or any) where the main character is a female or of color.
So why the imbalance? Is there any need to rehash the fact that Hollywood’s virtually unwavering focus on the white male goes far beyond the coming of age genre? While the industry timidly tries to break out of that pattern with films like
Girl in Progress or
The Kids Are all Right, the overwhelming number of white male films not only take precedence but are often the ones that garner more critical accolades.
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| Girl in Progress |
I wonder whether the common misconception that females tend to be the more focused and mature gender has anything to do with their virtual absence in the genre. However, Kristen Wiig seems to be single-handedly fighting against that stereotype as she’s carved out her very own “hilariously hot mess woman who desperately tries to get her act together” category of films. I’m just saying, it would be nice to see more stories like that of
Eve’s Bayou,
Under the Tuscan Sun, or
Eat, Pray, Love–imperfect films that at the very least more eloquently illuminate the term “coming of age.”
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| Pariah — a coming of age film about a young black lesbian. |
And I don’t know about you, but I am tired of the so-called coming of age stories featuring characters of color who “come of age” by taking part in some kind of a crime or witnessing something equally devastating. That image has been played to death and is just a crutch at this point (note: that angle is not restricted to films with characters of color, but still). With the critical success of Pariah, you’d think Hollywood would be interested in promoting similar films, ones that illuminate that the drama that comes along with growing pains is often triggered by internal not external circumstances.
Let’s do better, Hollywood. It’s 2013.
Well said! MORE coming of age films with female leads please! And I agree that sadly when it comes to films with male leads they are considered “universal”; whereas the very small minority of female leads is considered “just for girls”. And of course, that’s the most frustrating part!
(And blech! The kids are all right. That freaking gag-inducing movie! Ugh.)
Carrie Pilby…coming soon! (www.carriepilbythemovie.com)
Just to let you know, I agree wholeheartedly with your statements Candice. I am a producer on such a film. I will not shamelessly promote its name in this format, but you may want to look up my name on IMDB and see it there or on fb. This is my first outing as an executive producer/in charge of marketing. Our story is about two young ladies aged 14 years old that have been b.f.f.s since they were five. One of them is black the other is white and that has a major bearing on the plot. There is also a third new friend a young Asian/white boy. The comedy/drama is a sweet, family friendly story with a nice, intelligent twist at the end. The film has no violence, only a small amount of profanity; but, only as part of poetry recitations, and not gratuitous. We also have a great group of actors slated to play the major roles (two of them are Oscar nominated). So you want to see young woman of color in films? Well then, here’s to your request! Keep a look out, we are scheduled to start shooting in a few weeks in New Orleans. –
Sincerely, R. Richard McMullen – Producer