I think that this film was so well documented from so many different facets because the director is a minority. She didn't exclude any groups, and she brought in so many different viewpoints and different viewpoints from the same groups and classes of people.
She shared the opinion of the old school Black minister who didn't want to discuss the negativity of the past verses the Black restaurant owners who wanted to change the community. The contrast between the racist, hate filled Whites in the diner verses the Whites who made an effort to show support by going to the Black church, were they sat like stones while other Whites bopped to the church music. The Hispanics who were proud of their heritage and history was a stark contrast with the Perez family, who clearly identified as White.
Perez's mother was an intriguing figure, Hispanic but obviously classist, she didn't speak Spanish and was oblivious to her son's faults. He impregnated a 15 year old, 7 years younger than he was, but she blamed the girl for bring "those people" into his life. I wanted to believe that her son was railroaded but he was NOT. He burned down a mosque while his second son was born and took a 17 year old with him.
The most importantly statement in the film was made by a White boy, the sight of whom would cause most people to run in the other direction if they saw him on the street. He said that prison doesn't make people better. He said, after two times in prison, he's worse and he said that he hoped Perez used his time in prison to read and learn. When asked what Perez should learn, he said, anything.
She shared the opinion of the old school Black minister who didn't want to discuss the negativity of the past verses the Black restaurant owners who wanted to change the community. The contrast between the racist, hate filled Whites in the diner verses the Whites who made an effort to show support by going to the Black church, were they sat like stones while other Whites bopped to the church music. The Hispanics who were proud of their heritage and history was a stark contrast with the Perez family, who clearly identified as White.
Perez's mother was an intriguing figure, Hispanic but obviously classist, she didn't speak Spanish and was oblivious to her son's faults. He impregnated a 15 year old, 7 years younger than he was, but she blamed the girl for bring "those people" into his life. I wanted to believe that her son was railroaded but he was NOT. He burned down a mosque while his second son was born and took a 17 year old with him.
The most importantly statement in the film was made by a White boy, the sight of whom would cause most people to run in the other direction if they saw him on the street. He said that prison doesn't make people better. He said, after two times in prison, he's worse and he said that he hoped Perez used his time in prison to read and learn. When asked what Perez should learn, he said, anything.
