The Hate U Give

Tupac Shakur once explained in an interview that THUG LIFE was actually an acronym standing for “The Hate U Give Little Infants F**ks Everybody.” This new film directed by George Tillman Jr. and written by Tina Mabry and Audrey Wells is based on Angie Thomas' 2017 novel of same name. The book spent over 80 weeks on the New York Times best seller week and getting a push back by school districts for it's portrayal of drugs and sexuality. This young adult novel doesn't center on quirky growing up with romantic misadventures or an apocalyptic dystopia. It does address growing up in a world separated by racism and police brutality.

Starr Carter (Amanda Stenberg) lives in poor predominately black neighborhood with her family. Her father Maverick (Russell Hornsby) schools his three children on the Black Panther Ten Points Program that reinforces their pride, confidence and dignity. He also makes them rehearse what they should do if they are ever detained by the police. Hands out where they can seen, do not talk back, do not instigate or fight back for any reason. The violence in their neighborhood was one of the reasons that their mother Lisa (Regina Hall) sends the kids to a mostly white prep school in another town. Starr finds that she is acting like Starr Version 2 at school where her white friends try to act black and embarrassingly so. She even has a while boyfriend Chris (KJ Apa) who want to meet her parents, which of course she avoids. When Starr hangs with her homies, she is just another girl from the hood.

At a weekend party she meets up with an old childhood friend Khalil (Algee Smith). Khalil has always harbored a crush on Starr, so when he drives her home after an altercation at the party, he kisses her. But he is understanding when she tells him she already has a boyfriend. Even though the street is deserted of traffic a cop pulls them over for not signaling a lane change. Starr immediately puts her hands on the dashboard. Khalil is talking back to the cop about why is being stopped. Things get out of hand when the cops thinks the hairbrush in Khalil's hand is gun. The panicky white cop handcuffs Starr who sits helplessly watching her friend die. At the station the questioning detectives seem more fixated on Khalil's drug associations than how or why he died. Her uncle Carlos (Common) is a police officer who tries to give her perspective on the dynamics of what goes on in a cops mind when making a stop. April (Issa Rae) a activist lawyer wants Starr to speak out at the grand jury while firing up the locals to get justice for justice. Khalil's drug boss King (Anthony Mackie) is afraid that if Starr talks, it will put his operation in danger. Meanwhile, her mother wants her to stay quiet, while her father says he named her Starr her light will shine.

Amanda Stenberg who played Rue in the Hunger Games really shines her as a young woman treading between worlds trying to do the right thing. Especially knowing that even if she speaks up it will make no difference in the case. There's a bit of an afternoon special TV feel, but the movie speaks some solid truths. You feel for Starr's dilemma, her parents pain, her communities need to organize and let the world know what is going on, even if it means to take a knee during the national anthem. It's a powerful film that shines a light on police brutality and racism that should translate to all people no matter of what color. Parents should not have to school their kids on how to stay alive if ever stopped by the police. We are all humans just trying to get along.
(Review by reesa)