When thinking about Precious and The Blind Side, I didn't really think about the role that family plays in them until I read this article.
"Both movies tell stories that suggest a way out of poverty, brutality and domestic calamity for certain lucky individuals while saying very little about how those conditions might be changed."
"Both locate the problems facing their main characters in the failure of families — of mothers in particular — and find solutions in better families, substitute mothers"
"we love stories of heroic educators, coaches and moms who change the lives of poor, marginalized children by teaching them hard work and self esteem."
"the best hope for a poor black child in America is to have rich white parents."
Even though I haven't seen these movies, I've been thinking a lot about them. In real life, it is wonderful that Big Mike found a way out of a horrible situation thanks to the unbelievable kindness of a surrogate family. That support allowed him to find his way. But something about putting it in a movie turns it into a white/black thing. This poor black child succeeded because a rich white family took pity on him. Precious is a little less about race; by that I mean that her savior is not a white family. but a constructed family: a social worker, fellow at-risk students, etc. Either way, I think it's important that having a supportive family becomes the catalyst these characters need to change their lives.
If anyone's actually seen these movies, feel free to disagree/ agree with me.
