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IMDbPro

Dear White People

  • 20142014
  • RR
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
27K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
9,197
922
Tyler James Williams in Dear White People (2014)
A satire that follows the stories of four black students at an Ivy League college where a riot breaks out over a popular 'African American' themed party thrown by white students. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the film explores racial identity in 'post-racial' America while weaving a universal story of forging one's unique path in the world.
Play trailer2:33
7 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyDramaRomance
The lives of four black students at an Ivy League college.The lives of four black students at an Ivy League college.The lives of four black students at an Ivy League college.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
27K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
9,197
922
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Justin Simien
    • Writer
      • Justin Simien(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Tyler James Williams
      • Tessa Thompson
      • Kyle Gallner
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Justin Simien
    • Writer
      • Justin Simien(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Tyler James Williams
      • Tessa Thompson
      • Kyle Gallner
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 93User reviews
    • 132Critic reviews
    • 79Metascore
    • Awards
      • 13 wins & 28 nominations

    Videos7

    Trailer #2
    Trailer 2:33
    Trailer #2
    Trailer #1
    Trailer 1:08
    Trailer #1
    Breakout Performances Before They Were 2021 Sundance Stars
    Clip 2:32
    Breakout Performances Before They Were 2021 Sundance Stars
    Clip
    Clip 0:53
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 1:01
    Clip
    Clip
    Clip 1:05
    Clip
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    Clip 1:05
    Clip

    Photos129

    Tyler James Williams and Tessa Thompson in Dear White People (2014)
    Teyonah Parris in Dear White People (2014)
    Kyle Gallner and Tessa Thompson in Dear White People (2014)
    Dennis Haysbert in Dear White People (2014)
    Brandon P Bell, Nia Jervier, and Teyonah Parris in Dear White People (2014)
    Malcolm Barrett and Teyonah Parris in Dear White People (2014)
    Tyler James Williams in Dear White People (2014)
    Keith Myers and Marque Richardson in Dear White People (2014)
    Teyonah Parris in Dear White People (2014)
    Tessa Thompson in Dear White People (2014)
    Justin Simien in Dear White People (2014)
    Justin Simien in Dear White People (2014)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tyler James Williams
    Tyler James Williams
    • Lionel Higgins
    Tessa Thompson
    Tessa Thompson
    • Samantha White
    Kyle Gallner
    Kyle Gallner
    • Kurt Fletcher
    Teyonah Parris
    Teyonah Parris
    • Colandrea 'Coco' Conners
    Brandon P Bell
    Brandon P Bell
    • Troy Fairbanks
    • (as Brandon Bell)
    Brittany Curran
    Brittany Curran
    • Sofia Fletcher
    Justin Dobies
    Justin Dobies
    • Gabe
    Marque Richardson
    Marque Richardson
    • Reggie
    Malcolm Barrett
    Malcolm Barrett
    • Helmut West
    Dennis Haysbert
    Dennis Haysbert
    • Dean Fairbanks
    Peter Syvertsen
    Peter Syvertsen
    • President Fletcher
    Brandon Alter
    Brandon Alter
    • George
    Kate Gaulke
    Kate Gaulke
    • Annie
    • (as Katie Gaulke)
    Brian James
    • Martin
    Keith Myers
    Keith Myers
    • Mitch
    Bryan Daniel Porter
    • Gordon
    • (as Bryan Porter)
    Terry Hempleman
    • Professor Bodkin
    Naomi Ko
    • Sungmi
    • Director
      • Justin Simien
    • Writer
      • Justin Simien(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sam makes a student film that is critical of what she sees as white people's widespread fear of Barack Obama and titles it "Rebirth of a Nation." This is a reference not only to D.W. Griffith's notoriously racist 1915 Civil War movie The Birth of a Nation (1915) but also to something that filmmaker Spike Lee experienced while he was a first-year student at NYU's graduate film school. After being required to watch Griffith's film and objecting to the fact that his professors taught it only as a milestone in the technical development of cinema with no attention paid to its racism and its legacy of helping to relaunch the KKK, Lee made a student short film titled The Answer (1980) that responded to The Birth of a Nation himself. "The Answer" so offended many of his NYU professors that Lee was nearly expelled from NYU, but was ultimately saved by a faculty vote.
    • Goofs
      When Sam is in the dining hall and chastises Kurt for eating in their dining hall - just before she stands up; she closes her Macbook twice.
    • Quotes

      Professor Bodkin: ...Might I also remind you that I read your entire fifteen-page unsolicited treatise on why the Gremlins is actually about suburban white fear of black culture.

      Sam White: The Gremlins are loud, talk in slang, are addicted to fried chicken and freak out when you get their hair wet.

    • Crazy credits
      The end credits include photographs of the real-life blackface (and brownface) college parties that inspired the film's climax.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner: Los Angeles (2019)
    • Soundtracks
      45 Drum Break
      Performed by The Co-Stars

      Written by Neely Dinkins Jr. (as Neely Dinkins)

      Vito Colapietro Courtesy of Atom Factory Music Licensing

    User reviews93

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Well made satire but riddled with hateful undertones
    Menippian and Juvenalian satire are at the forefront here. There's no comedy, there's just a message. Unfortunately, today, people have allowed this satirical work to become reality. Set at a prestigious Ivy League school outside of Chicago proper, "Dear White People" takes so much time on the inherent differences between black and white people, that it takes no real time or consideration to realize that it's the American culture that binds everyone together. It's not a bad film, and my opinion of it has grown for the better over time because it must be taken as a satire instead of a message. Obviously the filmmakers have it in mind that one particular group is the enemy, when the reality is that the far left politics are used to brainwash extremely smart and talented minds.
    helpful•82
    40
    • nrabond007
    • Feb 26, 2017

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 4, 2014 (Brazil)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sevgili Beyaz Irk
    • Filming locations
      • University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
    • Production companies
      • Code Red
      • Duly Noted
      • Homegrown Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,404,154
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $347,959
      • Oct 19, 2014
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,633,961
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby

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    Tyler James Williams in Dear White People (2014)
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