The Hate U Give

"I ain't name you Starr by accident"

Filmology Rating: 3.5 out of 4

When Starr was nine years old, she got the talk. Not that talk! What do you do when you are pulled over by a police officer? Put your hands on the dashboard, don't give them attitude, or turn your back to reach for something. Unfortunately, Khalil never got the talk. If he had, maybe things would have turned out differently for him!

The Hate U Give is a 2018 coming of age drama directed by George Tillman and written by Audrey Wells. The day before the film's release she passed away from cancer; therefore she was unable to see her vision of Starr light the screen. The Hate U Give is based on the 2017 bestselling YA novel by Angie Thomas. It is her first novel originating from a short story she wrote about the 2009 police shooting of Oscar Grant by a San Francisco cop. It deals with themes of racism, police brutality, gang violence, and interracial dating.

Narrated by a 16 year old black girl named Starr (Amandla Stenberg), Starr explains how she has to code shift between Garden Heights, her poor, predominately black neighborhood and Williamson, the private high school she attends in an affluent suburb nearly 45 minutes away. She works so hard to keep these worlds separate. However, this is challenged when she becomes the sole witness to the tragic killing of her childhood best friend by a white police officer who mistakes his hairbrush for a hand gun. She now must find the courage to speak out for Khalil when she is asked to testify before a grand jury. The story makes national headlines and Khalil is portrayed as a thug having been forced to deal drugs for King, the Drug Lord when his mother becomes sick with cancer. "Since when does a dead person get blamed for his own murder?" questions Starr.

After the incident, Starr is upset when her white classmates stage a protest to avoid taking a test. She also is uncomfortable to her white friend Hailey's (Sabrina Carpenter) mildly racist fried chicken comment and an ignorant comment she makes inferring the investigation must be hard on the police officer's family. When Starr asks her Uncle Carlos, also a police officer, why this had to happen. He says "It's a complicated world we live in", but Starr's not buying it. Have you ever heard a police officer say "Put your hands up?"

Although the film was didactic and the message was as loud as the bull horn Starr used, I liked it very much. It was not just a film about the Black Lives Matter Movement; there were messages everyone could take from it. It was a movie that showed a loving family who taught their children to be proud of who they are. It also showed a father who overcame the struggles of his past and remained loyal to his community. Finally, it is about a girl discovering who she is and learning she can be herself no matter where she goes.

The Hate U Give works because of its richly drawn characters and powerful performances by both the lead and supporting cast. Amandla Stenberg deserves an Oscar nomination for being the voice to such a controversial issue. Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby were excellent in their parental roles. I especially liked Chris, Starr's boyfriend (Riverdale's, K. J. Apa) as he portrayed a caring boyfriend who was "color blind" literally putting his life on the line for a cause he may not have fully understood. Ironically, he was the replacement for Kian Lawley who was fired for making racial slurs on his YouTube Channel. As a result, all of the scenes with him had to be re-shot.

The Hate U Give is one of the best movies of 2018. It is a teen movie that is thought provoking and will likely spawn some interesting conversations with your movie partner when you leave the theater. Please don't get into a heated debate. For the most part, police officers succeed in protecting all of their citizens. However, when a tragedy occurs, they must be held accountable for their actions. My hope is that this movie reaches a broad audience and will serve as a platform for political and societal change.

Rating: See It

-Margie