I really enjoyed this movie regardless of its extreme portrayal of Asian American youth in LA. It is really a movie for the young generation, I think any Asian American youth could identify with some aspects of these characters, either you were similar to one or you went to school with one. But I like it because it addresses the frustrations that many Asian Americans go through in school from being stereotyped or feeling academic pressure from your family and peers.
The movie does a pretty good job of developing the different characters showing many different representations of the Asian male, (not the female) but its refreshing to see more in depth character development breaking out of the common stereotypes. There isn't really another movie like this portraying people of this age group and generation. And maybe some of the characters are exaggerated, but its only for the sake of the movie.
Although in some ways the movie does play it safe because all the characters are Asian, and other than some mild tension, there is not much interracial interaction. I think there could have been some very provocative outcomes from having more involvement of other races. I think Steve's character should have been white, it would have been much more provocative. An Asian girl dating a white guy, who emasculates Ben, and Ben turns around and smashes his head in.... now that would have been interesting!
I think this is definitely an Asian American film that hits home for many people.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The Cycle of Happiness...
... I think that is what Steve used to describe his life during the batting cage scene. He complained how his happy, upper class life trapped him, that it had to be destroyed. It is interesting then how Ben responds with such irritation and lack of enthusiasm. The first time watching "Better Luck Tomorrow" I was looking for a theme. Online reviews had praised how the film portrays Asian Americans in a gritty, exciting new light; the MTV trailer seemed dark and exciting. The first few moments, however, provided something that was too usual. Yes, the movie did capture the everyday life of Asian American students. But that was just it: they were students. Where was this exciting new light? Deep down, this movie was just another portrait of a model minority student trying to break out of his role.
Maybe I'm just jaded. By the time this film came out, I had already heard too many fellow asian students claim they wanted to break away from their parents' influences and desires for sucess. So "Better Luck Tomorrow" did not seem like anything new; even with the violence, the film essentially still equated asian american with academic sucess, this continual cycle of trying to achieve something in life. Watching it again, especially after the series of past films assigned, was an interesting experience. It was interesting in that there was nothing foreign about being Asian American. Heritage didn't play a role. The focus of the movie was almost singularly on the effects of being a model student who is fed up. This seemed to be a large contrast from "Flower Drum Song," in which the two cultures conspicuosly clashed and Wang Ta juggling this strange idea of being Asian and American all at once. Perhaps this suggests a radical change in the idea of being Asian American from the 50's to the new millenium. The Asian American student, at least according to "Better Luck Tomorrow," is not so disjointed a term; it fits seamlessly into the idea of being a disgruntled over-achiever.
**Not to go on a completely random tangent, but last year I think AZN Channel released some show depicting 4 Asian American students trying to get into their dream college. There might still be some clips shown on the website. Again, the show didn't really dig deeply into heritage and the role it plays in an Asian American students' life. Instead the connection between being Asian American and being a student resided in this need to get into an Ivy League college, as though one was not an Asian American student if s/he did not try to excel academically. And just like some of Virgil's complants, there was a clip of the show with one of the spoiled students continuously whining about how her parents were so hard on her.
Maybe I'm just jaded. By the time this film came out, I had already heard too many fellow asian students claim they wanted to break away from their parents' influences and desires for sucess. So "Better Luck Tomorrow" did not seem like anything new; even with the violence, the film essentially still equated asian american with academic sucess, this continual cycle of trying to achieve something in life. Watching it again, especially after the series of past films assigned, was an interesting experience. It was interesting in that there was nothing foreign about being Asian American. Heritage didn't play a role. The focus of the movie was almost singularly on the effects of being a model student who is fed up. This seemed to be a large contrast from "Flower Drum Song," in which the two cultures conspicuosly clashed and Wang Ta juggling this strange idea of being Asian and American all at once. Perhaps this suggests a radical change in the idea of being Asian American from the 50's to the new millenium. The Asian American student, at least according to "Better Luck Tomorrow," is not so disjointed a term; it fits seamlessly into the idea of being a disgruntled over-achiever.
**Not to go on a completely random tangent, but last year I think AZN Channel released some show depicting 4 Asian American students trying to get into their dream college. There might still be some clips shown on the website. Again, the show didn't really dig deeply into heritage and the role it plays in an Asian American students' life. Instead the connection between being Asian American and being a student resided in this need to get into an Ivy League college, as though one was not an Asian American student if s/he did not try to excel academically. And just like some of Virgil's complants, there was a clip of the show with one of the spoiled students continuously whining about how her parents were so hard on her.
Stephanie's innocence and "Asianness"
As the only significant female (and adopted) character in “Better Luck Tomorrow”, Stephanie is an especially interesting source of discussion. She is the cheerleader with a solid academic record (3 honors classes and a 3.8 GPA), who dates the rich-kid Steve and is Ben’s secret object of affection. Though Stephanie associates closely with Ben and Steve and certainly knows the other main characters, she remains relatively oblivious to their dealings. Her struggles do not extend to ruthless overachieving, a cocaine habit, and violent crimes, as Ben and his Asian American friends experience (perhaps a result of the pressure-cooker environment in which they perceive themselves to live).
If we look at these themes, it is easy to discount her as comparably worry-free. Some have even commented that her being adopted by non-Asian parents is the cause; Stephanie has not been subject to the same expectations and omnipresence of Asian parents. Upon looking closer at Stephanie’s character, however, it is apparent that she has her own very legitimate problems that simply don’t get camera time. The mention of her seeing a therapist is an indicator that her life includes difficulties. Her story is just a different one for a different movie.
Regarding Stephanie’s potentially being “less Asian”, I think it’s important to look at BLT as a whole. Any of these characters could really be of a different color—none of them dwell specifically on the struggles associated with Asian American life. One could say that their actions are a function of their backgrounds—I do agree that the overachieving aspects are often more associated with Asian Americans than other minority groups—but it doesn’t say anything about Stephanie and why her character is the way she is. Though non-Asian parents raised Stephanie, it doesn’t necessarily make her a well-assimilated member of American high school culture. It is clear that she is attempting to define herself, but aren’t all high school students trying to do the same? At the same time, she says that she is confused about her identity as a daughter, which might apply for anyone in the same position, regardless of race.
In the same way Ben, Virgil, Darik, Han and Steve’s fates are not absolutely tied to their being Asian (they could just as well be white and find themselves in a gang together, making the same choices), there is not a specific mold that Stephanie must fit in order to be truly “Asian”. The adoption does not make her any more or less Asian, she just happens not to go down the same paths as the other characters.
If we look at these themes, it is easy to discount her as comparably worry-free. Some have even commented that her being adopted by non-Asian parents is the cause; Stephanie has not been subject to the same expectations and omnipresence of Asian parents. Upon looking closer at Stephanie’s character, however, it is apparent that she has her own very legitimate problems that simply don’t get camera time. The mention of her seeing a therapist is an indicator that her life includes difficulties. Her story is just a different one for a different movie.
Regarding Stephanie’s potentially being “less Asian”, I think it’s important to look at BLT as a whole. Any of these characters could really be of a different color—none of them dwell specifically on the struggles associated with Asian American life. One could say that their actions are a function of their backgrounds—I do agree that the overachieving aspects are often more associated with Asian Americans than other minority groups—but it doesn’t say anything about Stephanie and why her character is the way she is. Though non-Asian parents raised Stephanie, it doesn’t necessarily make her a well-assimilated member of American high school culture. It is clear that she is attempting to define herself, but aren’t all high school students trying to do the same? At the same time, she says that she is confused about her identity as a daughter, which might apply for anyone in the same position, regardless of race.
In the same way Ben, Virgil, Darik, Han and Steve’s fates are not absolutely tied to their being Asian (they could just as well be white and find themselves in a gang together, making the same choices), there is not a specific mold that Stephanie must fit in order to be truly “Asian”. The adoption does not make her any more or less Asian, she just happens not to go down the same paths as the other characters.
DeMything of the Model Minority
To be honest, my initial reaction to the film was not one of relief. I was not relieved that finally, the myth of the model minority was challenged by a film such as this. I was, instead, a bit frustrated by the image this film portrayed of Asian Americans. In my opinion, instead of broadening the image of Asian Americans for the general public, the image shifted from one of the ideal student (studious, smart, and obedient) to one who is bored, selfish, and overall criminal. Sure, the film touches on the surface of typical racial topics on the minds of numerous Asian Americans, and it is breakthrough in the way that it is one first Asian American film to be put into major distribution, but the message it brings about these young misfits is disheartening to me.
The film incorporates many stereotypes and generalizations about Asian Americans. They are smart, as obviously seen in each of the main characters: Ben, Virgil, Han, Derek, Steve, and Stephanie. Ben is used as the "Token Asian" on a sports team. He is not the star of the team, or even a starter, just emphasizing the Asian stereotype of their lack of athletic ability. Derek is even insulted for playing tennis, not a "real sport" These stereotypes and isolation of Asian Americans becomes even more evident in the discrimination described in the film. While crashing the first party, a "jock" insults the four main characters, insinuating that they mistaked the party for bible study. Further along in the film, the main characters themselves make racial jokes about Asian Americans. Steve says, "So this is where all the Asians hang out!" while Derek responds, "Yep, the library was closed." By bringing these stereotypes and generalizations into the film, is it helping to alleviate them?
There were also just a few interesting points of the film that I felt worth noting. Steve seems to have it all with his loving family, money, and good grades. He even has the girlfriend who all the Asian American boys envy. He however, cheats on her with a white girl nonetheless. Is it important to note that this girl is white, or is this a subtle detail of the film which should be overlooked? I think it has much to say about Steve's character. Another interesting aspect of the film is the congregation of the students. Sure, this is an Asian American film, but it seems to say something by the way they exclude themselves from the rest of their student population. Is this self-segregation?
For the most part, I enjoyed watching the film, but felt it didn't accomplish what it set out to accomplish in my view. If Justin Lin wanted to abolish the views of an obedient Asian American child, don't just show a group of bored Asian American misfits. I feel a diversity of students would be a better interpretation of the Asian American population.
The film incorporates many stereotypes and generalizations about Asian Americans. They are smart, as obviously seen in each of the main characters: Ben, Virgil, Han, Derek, Steve, and Stephanie. Ben is used as the "Token Asian" on a sports team. He is not the star of the team, or even a starter, just emphasizing the Asian stereotype of their lack of athletic ability. Derek is even insulted for playing tennis, not a "real sport" These stereotypes and isolation of Asian Americans becomes even more evident in the discrimination described in the film. While crashing the first party, a "jock" insults the four main characters, insinuating that they mistaked the party for bible study. Further along in the film, the main characters themselves make racial jokes about Asian Americans. Steve says, "So this is where all the Asians hang out!" while Derek responds, "Yep, the library was closed." By bringing these stereotypes and generalizations into the film, is it helping to alleviate them?
There were also just a few interesting points of the film that I felt worth noting. Steve seems to have it all with his loving family, money, and good grades. He even has the girlfriend who all the Asian American boys envy. He however, cheats on her with a white girl nonetheless. Is it important to note that this girl is white, or is this a subtle detail of the film which should be overlooked? I think it has much to say about Steve's character. Another interesting aspect of the film is the congregation of the students. Sure, this is an Asian American film, but it seems to say something by the way they exclude themselves from the rest of their student population. Is this self-segregation?
For the most part, I enjoyed watching the film, but felt it didn't accomplish what it set out to accomplish in my view. If Justin Lin wanted to abolish the views of an obedient Asian American child, don't just show a group of bored Asian American misfits. I feel a diversity of students would be a better interpretation of the Asian American population.
Inextricably Punctilious
Punctilious is the first of the vocabulary words that appears on screen in “Better Luck Tomorrow.” It is defined as meaning marked by or concerned about exact accordance with the details of codes or conventions. This provides a clue, I think, to the central dilemma this movie attempts to explore. Each of the central characters is bedeviled by the drive to exhibit or accumulate the “right” details, to live by the “right” codes—all in pursuit of the “right” goal: get into a prestigious university. Which club, job, internship, extracurricular achievement, etc., will look best on the college application? Each day is spent, it seems, in service to the future. As a result, the here and now seems predictable and robotic. So, at first, the movie’s message seems to be that a life lived according to the model minority stereotype foisted on (and, as we’ve read, embraced by some) Asian Americans isn’t really living; it’s an imitation emptied of real happiness.
The main male characters’ actions over the course of the movie appear to turn the model minority stereotype on its head. But, they’ve simply embraced other stereotypes—albeit ones that have a “live for today” ethos and, therefore, provide more immediate, if short-lived, gratification. At the end of the movie, Ben seems to think his departure from the straight jacket of the model minority stereotype has resulted in some sort of liberation. He says, “For the first time in my life I don’t know what the future will hold. All I know is there is no turning back.”
But has he found a sense of self that’s not defined by stereotypes? Is he any freer than he was at the film’s outset? I don’t know that there is an easy answer, but those are the questions I was left with after watching the film. One of the last vocabulary words that appears in the film is inextricable. This is a clue to the movie’s larger message: that our sense of self—and our sense of others—is deeply entangled with a variety of stereotypes based on gender, race, age, etc. And that we are always restricted by these in some fashion.
Postscript: I’m not so sure we can presume that Ben, Virgil, Han, and Derek will, quite literally, get away with murder. At the film’s end, Stephanie notes that Steve has only been “missing” for two (or maybe she said three) days. And, Derek is clearly afraid that Virgil, whose guilt appears to have driven him to attempt suicide, might spill the beans. So, I think we are supposed to feel, as Ben does, that anything could happen next. This said, the whole driving off into the sunset with the girl makes the ending seem less ambiguous than it really is.
The main male characters’ actions over the course of the movie appear to turn the model minority stereotype on its head. But, they’ve simply embraced other stereotypes—albeit ones that have a “live for today” ethos and, therefore, provide more immediate, if short-lived, gratification. At the end of the movie, Ben seems to think his departure from the straight jacket of the model minority stereotype has resulted in some sort of liberation. He says, “For the first time in my life I don’t know what the future will hold. All I know is there is no turning back.”
But has he found a sense of self that’s not defined by stereotypes? Is he any freer than he was at the film’s outset? I don’t know that there is an easy answer, but those are the questions I was left with after watching the film. One of the last vocabulary words that appears in the film is inextricable. This is a clue to the movie’s larger message: that our sense of self—and our sense of others—is deeply entangled with a variety of stereotypes based on gender, race, age, etc. And that we are always restricted by these in some fashion.
Postscript: I’m not so sure we can presume that Ben, Virgil, Han, and Derek will, quite literally, get away with murder. At the film’s end, Stephanie notes that Steve has only been “missing” for two (or maybe she said three) days. And, Derek is clearly afraid that Virgil, whose guilt appears to have driven him to attempt suicide, might spill the beans. So, I think we are supposed to feel, as Ben does, that anything could happen next. This said, the whole driving off into the sunset with the girl makes the ending seem less ambiguous than it really is.
Better Luck Tomorrow: Character Websites
For any of you who are interested, if you go to the official Better Luck Tomorrow website and click on "Who do you want to be?" you can access a series of websites designed as the personal websites of the various protagonists. I thought it was neat to see what the filmmakers thought each character would choose to broadcast about him or herself.
BLT and MTV
When you talk about modern-day pop culture, I think it would be impossible for the name “MTV” to not come up in conversation. So I think it would be interesting to think about the projected impact of the movie that MTV was hoping for when it picked up the film from Sundance, and what may have been the actual influences on American youth’s perception of Asian-Americans and the model minority paradigm.
Just from my own speculations:
MTV’s target audience is teenage to college-age Americans throughout the country, and so for those who may live in neighborhoods with no/few Asian-Americans, this may be their first/new exposure to them. Perhaps in such neighborhoods, gang-related violence and sex/drug scenes that may be more common in suburbs near metropolitan cities such as LA may also be new, but that’s beside the point (and probably false). The point is that by deciding to take on this film, MTV, as sort of this mover and shaker of American popular culture, was endorsing Justin Lin’s attempt to non-stereotype Asian-Americans. It may have been that in reality, when MTV first signed up BLT, it was only “testing out the waters” to gauge what kind of a response it would get. It may have wanted a “different spin,” something that was fresh and new, and wasn’t really looking to change how American society and popular culture perceived of AsAms. After all, there are all the classic signs of another teen movie – college worries, girl worries, peer pressure worries, image worries – but this movie cannot be what it is without its all-Asian-American (main) cast. It isn’t true that this plot could have applied to any other minority group because Lin’s major goal was, as many people have already pointed out in their blogs, to shatter the image of the model minority, and in order to do so, the characters had to use and abuse it as a farce or a facade. That is to say, knowingly taking advantage of the model minority stereotype is to break that same stereotype while actually appearing to maintain it…(I think). Thus, having an Asian-American cast is very important as a selling point of the movie, and from having read that Justin Lin went into debt to make this film and that the actors were willing to delay getting paid made me think that all those involved in the film were really hoping that this film will be instrumental to bringing about a more realistic and truthful understanding on behalf of the American society as a whole of what it means to be Asian-American. As Lin said in an interview, "As an Asian American filmmaker, I wanted to make a movie that was real and non-apologetic, one that resisted the standard stories and stereotypes typical of recent Asian American cinema. I strove to create a film space that did not define Asian Americans in opposition to "whiteness,' but rather, to establish them as active participants in the ever evolving face of Americana."
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