Film: Pariah
Cast includes: Adepero Oduye (Half Nelson), Pernell Walker (Common Grounds), Aasha Davis (Novel Romance), Kim Wayans (Juwanna Mann), Charles Parnell (The Education of Charlie Banks)
Writer/Director: Dee Rees (Eventual Salvation)
Genre: Drama (2011)
“Why you beastin? You got problems,” Laura says to Alike [a-LEE-kay]. They’re on the bus, but before Alike get’s home, she needs to change her look… make herself more girly. “Where you been, Lee?” Her mom’s not happy about her hanging out so late. And she doesn’t like that friend Lee’s been hanging with. Anyway, tomorrow Mom wants to take Lee shopping for clothes. She can’t understand why her daughter won’t wear anything the slightest bit feminine. Alike is the best student at her high school class and she does extra writing for AP English… it’s always well written, “but I think you can go deeper,” her teacher tells her.
Alike is conflicted… she knows she’s a lesbian, but she hasn’t figured out how she relates to the world around her. Everyone else seems to know she’s a lesbian… except for her parents. They think she’s just going through a phase, and with a bit of parental pressure they can turn her into a more traditional girl. They really do love her… or at least, they love the girl they think she should be. The only one Alike confides in is her friend Laura… the one her parents don’t want her hanging with. But Laura can’t help Alike find her place in the world, either.
Pariah is an intensely moving film. Adepero Oduye is totally believable as the teenager who desperately wants to be loved for who she is… and not for who everyone else wants her to be. Don’t be put off by the name of the film… “Pariah.” It’s not as dark as you might think. As it turns out, Alike isn’t the only one with issues. Alike can’t solve her parents’ problems, nor can she take responsibility for her friends’ problems. Pariah feels true to life in many ways… it doesn’t just show us Alike’s struggles… it puts them in context with her community. Alike’s a very smart young woman, and she’s determined to find her own path. “God doesn’t make mistakes,” her mom tells her. So is God is ganging up on her, too. Alike is “broken open.” Maybe that’s a good thing.
4 popped kernels
Painful journey of a teenaged lesbian who just wants to be herself
Popcorn Profile
Rated: R
Primary Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Art house
Mood: Somber
Tempo: Cruises comfortably
Visual Style: Nicely varnished realism
Character Development: Intense
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Thought provoking
