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| Tropic Thunder - Dozens Protest at 'Tropic Thunder' Premiere |
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After seeing the movie, I can both see why
people love it and hate it. They love it
because quite honestly, it was one of the
funniest movies I have seen in a long time.
I couldn't bring myself to find fault in the
Robert Downey Jr. character, because it was
just so perfectly executed. I mean, the
movie in itself was a work of art, Ben
Stiller did an excellent job directing and
the casting was perfect. Yet, I could
sympathize with the people protesting,
because the movie was over the top. To me in
a good way, but I guess I can see where some
would not feel the same way. So, I am giving
the movie a cautious two thumbs up, which
means, If you are overly sensative, stay
home, but if you want to laugh til your sides
hurt, go see the movie.
http://www.blacktree.tv
Stiller, Downey Jr. and Black lead an
ensemble cast in 'Tropic Thunder,' an action
comedy about a group of self absorbed actors
who set out to make the most expensive war
film. After ballooning costs force the studio
to cancel the movie, the frustrated director
refuses to stop shooting, leading his cast
into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where
they encounter real bad guys.
Dozens protest at 'Tropic Thunder' premiere
Story Highlights
"Tropic Thunder" contains frequent use of
disparaging term for mentally disabled
Advocacy groups upset; one person called it
"offensive from start to finish"
Special Olympics chair calling for boycott
Film stars Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. as
self-absorbed actors making film
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- "Tropic
Thunder" is pushing the envelope too far for
groups representing the mentally disabled.
Dozens of people from organizations such as
the Special Olympics and the American
Association of People with Disabilities
protested the movie-industry spoof across the
street from the film's Los Angeles premiere
at Mann's Bruin Theatre on Monday. The
protesters held up signs with slogans such as
"Call me by my name, not by my label" and
chanted phrases like "Ban the movie, ban the
word."
The groups are outraged over scenes featuring
the liberal usage of a disparaging term used
to describe the mentally disabled. In the
movie, director and co-star Ben Stiller plays
a fame-hungry actor cast in a war movie who
previously had a role as a mentally disabled
character named Simple Jack.
The DreamWorks film, which opens Wednesday,
also stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black.
"When I heard about it, I felt really hurt
inside," said Special Olympics global
messenger Dustin Plunkett. "I cannot believe
a writer could write something like that.
It's the not the way that we want to be
portrayed. We have feelings. We don't like
the word retard. We are people. We're just
like any other people out there. We want to
be ourselves and not be discriminated
against." Watch why critics are calling film
"Tropic Blunder" »
Andrew J. Imparato, president of the American
Association of People with Disabilities, said
he and other representatives from advocacy
groups representing the mentally disabled met
with DreamWorks co-chair Stacey Snider and
watched a private screening of the film
Monday morning. Imparato called the movie
"tasteless" and said it was "offensive start
to finish."
"I have a sense of humor," said Imparato.
"There were parts of the movie where I
laughed, but it seems to me that the movie
tried really hard to go too far and then pull
back on everything that was offensive except
the issue of people with intellectual
disabilities. I just think Ben Stiller and
the people involved in this movie just didn't
think it was going to be offensive."
Following the original complaints from the
advocacy groups, DreamWorks pulled some
promotional materials, including a Web site
that promoted the film-within-a-film starring
Stiller's character which contained the tag
line "Once there was a retard." DreamWorks
spokesman Chip Sullivan previously said in a
statement that "no changes or cuts to the
film will be made."
"If you want to pick on people, as the old
playground saying goes, pick on people your
own size," said Timothy Shriver, chairman of
the Special Olympics, who is calling for a
boycott of "Tropic Thunder" along with the
other groups. "This population struggles too
much with the basics to have to struggle
against Hollywood. We're sending a message
that this hate speech is no longer
acceptable."
http://www.blacktree.tv
Tags : filmmaker reel interview trailer black face Robert Downey jr special olympics protest |
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Affichage : 426767
Durée : 221 s |
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