African Americans are bigger than ever on the big screen
By Kenya Vaughn
Of the St. Louis American
“It’s a wonderful year to be an African-American actor,” Beyonce Knowles (who co-starred with Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls) said on the red carpet before this year’s Oscars ceremony.
Considering that 2006 film credits for African-American actors, directors and producers ran the gamut from serious to slapstick, Beyonce had a point.
The Oscars were evidence that black actors have carved a place for themselves among the Hollywood elite. Three of the four major acting categories featured African and African-American performers. And for a night that has traditionally been an all-white affair, the pre-show, awards ceremony and post-show interviews could have been aired on BET without seeming out of place.
E! Entertainment’s red carpet special featured the original Effie, Jennifer Holiday, who gave a downhome storefront church rendition of “And I Am Telling You,” the song that made her and the soon-to-be Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson famous.
Of all the nominees that legendary interviewer Barbara Walters could have selected for her pre-show special, it was Eddie Murphy who was selected to get up close and personal.
Among the nominations, a record three of the four major actor categories included Africans and African Americans. And when the statues were handed out, those same actors were in the front of the line. Although Eddie Murphy and Djimon Honsou were overlooked in the Best Supporting Actor category, Jennifer Hudson received Hollywood’s highest honor for her performance as Effie White in Dreamgirls, as did Forest Whitaker for his evil and uncanny portrayal of Ugandan Dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.
The two roles and performances could not be more different, and this was indicative of the trend in 2006 and thus far in 2007 with regards to role diversity for African-American actors.
Black Snake Moan, Reno 911!: Miami
The box office line up for this weekend is a prime example. Black Snake Moan stars Samuel L. Jackson as Lazurus, a former blues singer at a point of extreme crisis in his personal life and a state of dormancy in his professional life. In an effort to take his mind off of his own issues, Jackson’s character decides to play salvation for a troubled white girl in the rural town he calls home.
Because he has no say in the tumultuous turn of events that took over his own life, he decides to take control of the situation and deliver her from her wicked ways.
Director Craig Brewer, of Hustle and Flow fame, repeated his trademark character study in Black Snake Moan.
It was a relief not to have to bear witness to yet another white man playing saving grace to troubled black youth. But, on the other hand, it was downright disturbing to see Jackson’s character pass over the opportunity to help the troubled black youth in his quest to save the damsel in distress played by an emaciated and often nude Christina Ricci.
Samuel L. Jackson’s gift for digging into the flesh of his character and forcing audiences to take notice and applaud him, whether he’s a villain, hero or somewhere in between, is once again evident in his portrayal of Lazarus. He also does his own signing and guitar playing in the film. And even though he is by no means the next Luther Vandross, he does legitimate justice to Lazurus’ blues sound. His performance is the only thing relevant to black audiences – but it alone may make the movie worthwhile for some people.
On the other end of the spectrum as it relates to films, there is the slapstick crew of misfit police officers that make up the Reno 911! squad (featuring blactors Niecey Nash of STL and Cedric Yarbrough) in their big screen debut of Reno 911!: Miami.
This film does a poor job of recreating the quarks and shenanigans that make the Comedy Central show a hit with viewers. Niecy Nash is simply a sidebar in the ensemble, and the audience spent the majority of the preview anticipating laughs that never came to pass.
Nash, known for her around-the-way girl humor and hilarious timing, was little more than a prosthetic booty in the film.
While as a TV show Reno 911! is famous for its offensive and immature humor, the cleverness and wit that help generate the laughs for the low-brow comedy bits was missing in action in the movie.
Although neither film is a must-see for black audiences, they add variety with regards to blacks and the big screen. Other upcoming and newly released films that feature African Americans include Wild Hogs, starring Martin Lawrence (March 2), Reign Over Me, starring Don Cheadle and Jada Pinkett Smith (March 9), I think I Love My Wife, starring Chris Rock (March 16) and Pride, starring Terrance Howard, Bernie Mac and Kimberly Elise (March 23). The next award season may be even bigger for African-American actors.
Reno 911!: Miami is currently in theatres nationwide. The film is Rated R with a running time of 84 minutes. Black Snake Moan opens Friday, March 2. It is rated R with a running time of 116 minutes.
