april | The Cavalier | ENTERTAINMENT 3 Hidden Figures Breaks Barriers of Race and Gender by CASEY COLLINS characters must speak to each other; and the topic of The characterization of Johnson and her counterparts their conversation cannot be a man. According to Global Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughn by the “Hidden Figures” Citizen, four of the nine Academy Award nominees for cast and crew appeared to be planned very carefully to Best Picture fail the Bechdel test, and both the 2016 and incorporate humor that would balance the often uncom- 2017 winners for Best Picture, “Spotlight” and “Moonlight,” fortable seriousness of the discrimination that these wom- respectively, do not pass the test. en faced. Addressing topics of racism and discrimination Movies like “Spotlight” and “Moonlight” are undeniably can be a great challenge for both filmmakers and actors, high-quality and award worthy, but their lack of recogni- especially considering the current social climate of the tion of women on screen is appalling. How can two movies U.S., but by making the characters realistic and relatable, that are considered to be the best of their year achieve “Hidden Figures” was able to bridge existing gaps between this legendary status while almost entirely ignoring half social and racial divisions to unite moviegoers across the of the world population on the basis of gender exclu- country in support of African American women attempting sion? This exclusion of women time and time again in the to succeed under seemingly impossible circumstances. annually chosen best films has repeatedly left me feeling More importantly than any technical or conventional Image courtesy of huffingtonpost.com empty and frustrated, which is why I was so excited to see cinematic achievements, “Hidden Figures” drew men, nderrepresented; deigned to play waitresses, “Hidden Figures” repeatedly appear on the lists of award women, and children out of the woodworks to watch maids, mistresses, wild party girls, and domestic nominees for 2017. previously unknown stories about strong and powerful housewives. Despite the progress seen in recent “Hidden Figures” did an outstanding job of portraying women who were singled out, but managed to prevail in years concerning the portrayal of women in film women realistically with intricate character development spite of the odds stacked against them. With a feel-good Uand the involvement of women in the film industry, Holly- and an incredible representation of the historical wrongs and inspirational ending that left me walking out of the wood continues to miss the mark on sharing the spotlight committed against women, especially in the context of movie theater with high hopes for the future of women in between both men and women. ignoring female contribution to the fields of math and fighting to close the gender pay gap and promoting female The underrepresentation of women in film is obvi- science. Watching Taraji P. Henson play the character of workers in male-dominated fields, “Hidden Figures” was ous based on results of the Bechdel test, which numer- Katherine Johnson with equal parts grace, passion, and the perfect film to represent the power of women across ous of the 2017 Academy Award nominated films failed. intelligence allowed me to better understand the reasons the span of numerous generations. The Bechdel Test has three requirements: the movie must behind the decisions that Johnson made while working have at least two named female characters; the female within segregated NASA in the 1960s. Get Out Gives Horror Movies a new perspective by LINA SALEH I’ll be honest; horror movies have never really been to occurrences in pristine upper class white neighborhood, knowing how to my taste. It’s not that I don’t like suspense or the feeling Chris begins to put the pieces together and connect the act around people of the eerie unknown, it’s just that the genre itself always dots into one command to follow; to get out of this place of color, sometimes seemed to be more about scenes filled with blood and and escape. Meanwhile back at his apartment, Chris’s TSA because of being gore, jump scares, and a lack of a decent plot. But while officer friend whom he asked to house sit for him, begins unused to spending the horror genre may not be my cup of tea, “Get Out” to worry at the lack of phone calls and comedically at- time around them, definitely took me by surprise. tempts to take action to save his friend. and other times The story of “Get Out” begins in a New York City More than just cheap jump scares at ghosts or bloody because inherent apartment, where young African American photographer gore, the fear brought on by “Get Out” is more eerie subconscious preju- Chris Washington nervously packs his things to head for and bone chilling. Perhaps more thriller than horror, the dices that influence a weekend in the countryside with his girlfriend’s parents. movie provides a sense of danger that slowly builds until our actions beneath His girlfriend, who is white, assures him that her parents the climax, spiking at certain points to keep the viewers in the surface. are the furthest thing away from racist, and “would have suspense. Directed in a debut production by comedian Jor- With thriller, a voted Obama for a third term” if they could have. On the dan Peele, best known for his starring role in the Comedy dash of comedy, and opposite side of the equation, Chris worries about how Central sketch series “Key & Peele,” the thriller horror a pinch of deeper she hasn’t yet told her parents that he’s black. film is spliced with moments of genuine humor that make thinking, Get Out Rose’s parents are welcoming, albeit a bit awkward the suspenseful moments even more anticipated. fulfils being both a with how they act around Chris, but the viewer simply Alongside the general conventions of storytelling, the fun horror film, and attributes this to the racial surprise. What starts out as narrative of the movie also acts as a sort of backdrop an allegory about the classic “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” story soon to twenty first century racism in modern America. The race. Whether you’re

begins to turn eerie as the movie goes on. The strange slightly forced, uncomfortable manner that Rose’s family a horror fan, or non- Image courtesy of impawards.com demeanor of the black servants that work around the holds as they try to interact with Chris, the mannerisms horror person who doesn’t scare easily, property puts Chris on guard as he tries to interact with they adopt, show that racism in the modern age is no something here can easily be found worth enjoying. his girlfriend’s family. longer just people assuming that people of color don’t As the events of the story continue, with more strange deserve the same rights. It’s the situation of whites not

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