something new ... finally

My hollywood sistafriend told me it was important to see the film its opening weekend. That it would show a demand for a different kind of film. Because it is written, directed and produced by black women, I wanted to be sure I contributed to those opening weekend stats.

What I find interesting about Something New is that the interracial romance at the center of the film's plot is not really what's 'new' about the film (although the chemistry between Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker is a vast improvement over the forced choreography between Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner or the gratuitous pornotropics of Billy Bob and Halle Berry).

Instead, what's really new is that the film is creatively controlled by black women, featuring black female actors (none of whom are Halle Berry) who play educated, working professionals (no hos or hoochies in this film; no baby mamas or welfare queens either). What's new is that there is actually an engagement of class as well as race in the film. The film's lead Kenya (Sanaa Lathan) comes from an upper middle class black family; she's a 'Jack and Jill' kid, complete with the cotillions, the white gloves and all. Oy.

Kenya's love interest Brian (Simon Baker) does not merely rescue her from perpetual singledom, he frees her from her bourgeois, uptight background. And it is a lovely emancipation. Not only does the hot landscape architect hook up sista girl's yard, but he inspires her to add color to her drab beige life and to take out her hair weave! Um hum.

While I didn't love the film--I find the marriage plot a little hackneyed and wish it had gone out with the Victorian era--it is a welcome change from the 'Big Mamas' and 'Madeas' that seem to be dominating black film right now (I could lament the sad state of black film, but that's the subject for another, longer, rant-filled blog entry). Most importantly, I hope the success of the film will open more doors for black women in the industry who long to make even more complicated films. It would be a sad state of affairs if the only black female imagery on screen were black men in drag, performing not-so-funny renditions of their grandmas.