FILM(S) MONITORED
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
THE WOODSMAN
FAT ALBERT

Below is BN-W’s final film monitoring session for the Fall 2004 season.   The monitor shows a range (none [0], low [1-2], moderate [3-5], high [6-9], excessive [10+]) of how often the N-word was used throughout the film.   If you missed any other BN-W monitors, just send an e-mail to bannword2@yahoo.com and request that it be sent to you.

BN-W will not usually give any content critique, so it is highly encouraged that you see these films for yourself and, if applicable, make your own judgment call on the N-word usage – appropriate/inappropriate? necessary/unnecessary? sensible/nonsensical? does it add to or take away from the film’s concept? does the N-word have to be used at all? is there a valid reason for doing so? is it mandatory for the scene(s) to be effective? what are the circumstances/situation that necessitate any use of the word? is it just thrown in for humor, fear, crime, insult? are other culturally insulting slang terms used as much as the N-word in the film?   Lots of questions and a whole lot of reasons to wonder what’s the real purpose and thought process behind why these actors, writers, directors, producers, executive producers, distributors, and studios/studio heads and executives give the “greenlight” for these crews to liberally use (or allow to be used) the N-word.

FEATURE FILM(S) :

M I L L I O N   D O L L A R   B A B Y

[Release Date:   12/15/04]

Starring Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman; screenplay written by Paul Haggis; directed by Clint Eastwood; produced by Clint Eastwood, Albert S. Ruddy, Tom Rosenberg, Paul Haggis; executive produced by Gary Lucchesi, Robert Lorenz; studio – Warner Bros. Pictures
 

NOTE :   Kudos to Clint Eastwood for just not giving a damn and “keeping it real” for the lives of many, many White people.   He ventured into an area that Hollywood prefers to keep on the down low.   The hot button topic that’s the movie’s focus is also another very noteworthy move from Eastwood.

T H E   W O O D S M A N

Release Date:   12/24/04]

Starring Kevin Bacon, Mos Def, Eve; screenplay written by Nicole Kassell, Steven Fechter; directed by Nicole Kassell; produced by Lee Daniels; executive produced by Damon Dash, Kevin Bacon, Brook Lenfest, Dawn Lenfest; studio – Newmarket Films
 

NOTE :   Intense and serious film – we highly encourage seeing it, especially if you’re a parent.   Producer Lee Daniels (Monster’s Ball) doesn’t run away from difficult topics and he proves that once again with this film.   Kevin Bacon does an excellent job in a role that had to be very difficult.

F A T   A L B E R T

Release Date:   12/25/04]

Starring Kenan Thompson, Kyla Pratt, Bill Cosby; screenplay written by Bill Cosby, Charles Kipps; directed by Joel Zwick; produced by John Davis; executive produced by Bill Cosby, Camille Cosby; studio – Twentieth Century Fox
 

NOTE :   Nice twists to “Dumb Donald” and “Mush Mouth.”

BN-W Monitor Coming Soon:   “Coach Carter” [Samuel L. Jackson, Ashanti Douglas]; “Are We There Yet?” [Ice Cube, Nia Long]; “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” [Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris]; “Hitch” [Will Smith, Eva Mendes]; “An Unfinished Life” [Jennifer Lopez, Robert Redford]; “Beauty Shop” [Queen Latifah, Ice Cube]

Also Coming :   DVD Monitoring; Quarterly Music Monitoring; Dave Chappelle