Dear White People (2014)

The lives of four black students at an Ivy League college.

Director:

Justin Simien

Writer:

Justin Simien (screenplay)

Stars:

Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner

14 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tyler James Williams	...	Lionel Higgins
Tessa Thompson	...	Samantha White
Kyle Gallner	...	Kurt Fletcher
Teyonah Parris	...	Colandrea 'Coco' Conners
Brandon P Bell	...	Troy Fairbanks
Brittany Curran	...	Sofia Fletcher
Justin Dobies	...	Gabe
Marque Richardson	...	Reggie
Malcolm Barrett	...	Helmut West
Dennis Haysbert	...	Dean Fairbanks
Peter Syvertsen	...	President Fletcher
Brandon Alter	...	George
Kate Gaulke	...	Annie (as Katie Gaulke)
Brian James	...	Martin
Keith Myers	...	Mitch

Storyline

A social satire that follows the stories of four black students at an Ivy League college where controversy breaks out over a popular but offensive black-face party thrown by white students. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the film explores racial identity in acutely-not-post-racial America while weaving a universal story of forging one's unique path in the world.

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Plot Keywords:

race relations | satire | ivy league university | controversy | election | 

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Taglines:

A satire about being a black face in a white place

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexual content and drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 December 2014 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

Cara Gente Branca

Filming Locations:

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$347,959, 17 October 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,404,154, 25 January 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Code Red, Duly Noted, Homegrown Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

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.

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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.

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Quotes

Gabe: So, Sam, how would you feel if someone started a "Dear Black People"?
Sam White: No need. Mass media from Fox News to reality TV on VH1 makes it clear what white people think of us.

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Crazy Credits

The end credits include photographs of the real-life blackface (and brownface) college parties that inspired the film's climax.

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Connections

References The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2008)

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Soundtracks

Holograms
Performed by Leonard Friend

User Reviews

Is it about the student politics or racism?

Actually, I don't understand this film, I mean the story, what it intended to tell us. Maybe it's for Americans only. I thought it could be some underrated cool comedy, but what I just saw was definitely not expected. I kind of felt it was a student politics and if it stayed like that way I would have had no problem. But they said it is a comedy and I did not get any, in between it became a racism thing. I never understood this American racism, why they're making it so complicated. Especially the condition of the US is not looking good right now and this film pours a more oil to it. I'm neither white nor black or an American, and sorry I did not find it a good film. Even more, I don't get, how a television series is getting ready to follow-up it. So no offense for those who liked it, seems I'm in a wrong place. I just rated and reviewed what I felt it deserves, other than that I'm not against the film. I'm out of here!

3/10