SYNOPSICS
Spinning Into Butter (2007) is a English movie. Mark Brokaw has directed this movie. Sarah Jessica Parker,Miranda Richardson,Victor Rasuk,Jake M. Smith are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2007. Spinning Into Butter (2007) is considered one of the best Drama movie in India and around the world.
Sarah Daniels taught in a Lancaster school and developed deep prejudice against minorities, especially blacks. She decided to re-locate to Belmont, Vermont with the hopes that it will be 'all white', and gets hired in Belmont College. She does not disclose her past to anyone, but when an African-American student, Simon Brick, becomes the victim of hate crime, she soon realizes that not only will her past return to haunt her, she will be expected to be the liaison person for the minorities, as well as be asked to prepare a 10-point bullet-ed list to resolve racism.
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Spinning Into Butter (2007) Reviews
Not bad at all
My expectations were very low, so that may be why I enjoyed this movie quite a bit. I like SJP much more in this type of role than the endless incarnations of Carrie Bradshaw that she has played. She has great comic timing, but she has more to offer, and that's on display here (check her out in Smart People for more of what I'm talking about). Anyway, racism is a tough issue and hasn't been dealt with on film in any credible way for many years (I just saw a promo for a new Hughes Brother movie and it looks like a standard action picture with nothing much to say about anything). Spike Lee is making heist movies and John Singleton is completely MIA. So I'll take what I can get. No, it's not a perfect movie, but it kept my interest and it tried to show a bunch of different viewpoints. That's worth watching right there. I found most of the characters sympathetic, even the awkward, messed up ones - everyone has their reasons for behaving like they do. Yes, the characters are "types" to some extent, but how can you address this issue without showing standard actions that we all have seen? I lived in Philadelphia for many years and worked at Temple University (not unlike the fictional Lancaster College in the film) and now live in very white Clay NY. I could totally relate to the Dean's dilemma - seeing people who fit the stereotype, but then feeling weak for avoiding the problem. I thought it was pretty real. And I just loved the closing shot - great way to end. Unless you are determined to hate it, check this movie out - it's not a waste of time and it just might make you think.
Race relations
Political correctness and racial tolerance figure prominently in this film directed by Mark Brokaw. It is based on Rebecca Gilman's play that originated at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. When it was presented in New York in 2000, the cast was headed by Hope Davis, an excellent actress. The transfer to the screen, adapted by Ms. Gilman and Doug Atchison, had a troubled production, finally made it to a commercial release in 2007, and in spite of the casting of Sarah Jessica Parker in the leading role, it didn't reach a wide audience. The basic change from the play is that the person behind all the hatred is never seen, whereas in the screen version we get to see the perpetrator. Racism in America is something that was never eradicated from society; it keeps resurfacing in the most unexpected areas. It is at the center of this study on what is real and one's perception of this deeply rooted problem in our society. The thorny issue of race relations is prominently seen in the film. As the story begins, several racist drawings appear outside Simon Brick's room in the dorm of Belmont College, where he lives. The dean of students, Sarah Daniels, decides the police must be informed about the incident, something Catherine Kenney, who is Sarah's superior thinks should have been kept in house and dealt by the college's own security. Sarah, who started her professional career at Lawrence College, in Chicago, where the majority was black, had a tough time during her stay there. Now, some of the issues she thought she left behind come to haunt her. At the old job she was frightened by the students who were undisciplined and rude to her, seeing in Sarah a sort of enemy; they never took kindly to her. Now in a more laid back and peaceful setting, Sarah finds herself in the middle of the controversy about what is perceived by the minority students as an affront, in the way the school has handled the case. Even a promising young student, Patrick Chibas, with an excellent record and a good chance for getting a scholarship insist in listing his race as 'nuyorican', or someone having been born in New York of Puerto Rican descent. He resents the fact that Sarah had told him to enter the more generic term "hispanic" because it is, as far as she is concerned, a much better way to describe himself in the application. Sarah, meets a black CNN reporter, Aaron Carmichael, that is assigned to cover the incident; he develops a fond relationship with her, but evidently he feels a stronger attraction that Sarah refuses to acknowledge. When the case explodes out of proportions, there is a terrible revelation as to who is the culprit for the racist messages is. As it turns out it is someone one would not ever had imagined could be doing such a thing. After the scandal, and because of Aaron's discovery about what really has been bothering Sarah, she resigns to go back to her old college and face her own fears. Sarah Jessica Parker makes an intense Sarah and is about the best thing in the film. Miranda Richardson and Beau Bridges don't have much to do. Mikelty Williamson makes a good contribution as Aaron. Paul James is the young man targeted because of his race. Victor Rasuk is Patrick Chibas. The film, far from being perfect, offers a case study about how apart race plays a major role in society.
condescending film on racism is awful on its own terms
Rebecca Gilman's wrongheaded play about racism at a small college is an even more wrongheaded film. What was a well intentioned but misguided play that equated not sitting next to a person of a different race on an empty subway car as racism is turned an even more off the mark film. The plot has to do with the aftermath of a racial incident and how the rich white head of the college who is suppose to be so liberal maybe isn't, and how political correctness maybe more prejudicial to everyone. I didn't care for the play all that much, which while not bad, managed to over state its position and there by lose its argument. This film version open the play up and manages to do everything wrong from the get go from the opening credits over a cartoon version of Little Black Sambo. From there the film makes it clear that this film is about "something" and then goes on to hammer home its points like a barbarian with an ax handle in a brawl. How can you even hope to relate to the lead character when she is clearly condescending to everyone? After a troubled production the film sat on the shelf for a few years and its easy to see why, the movie isn't much good and its becomes an endurance test to get through. I'm sure that everyone who made the film has their hearts in the right place, but at the same time, they are like their main character, clueless about how abrasive they are in showing us how wrong the world is. If you haven't guessed it I really hate this film and think you should stay as far way as possible.
Will reinforce all your beliefs on race
From the opening credits, this movie made me cringe at almost every scene. The movie centers around a racial incident on the campus of a fictional small rural Vermont college. Of course the college stands in as a symbol of a majority White community, and the racial incident unavoidably escalates into a small media frenzy. Thus the stage is set for all the players to act and reveal their views on the issue of race. Of course the viewer immediately sees through the "characters", and starts interpreting the views of the writers and producers themselves. That's the whole issue about race: people are very aware of the differences between their views and other people's views about it. So, as the story unfolds and more and more stereotypes about race and stereotypical reactions to race are paraded out, I asked myself, who does this movie serve? Who does this movie not offend? It was obvious the script tries to represent both sides of the fence, in an "equal-time" manner. Amazingly enough, they even voiced the politically incorrect side, in a qualified way. Everyone in the movie is a caricature of their race. Largely, though not entirely predictable as you watch it, it still fits the stereotype of how race is allowed to be discussed in film. But ultimately, outside any moral of "racism is inevitable", or "racism is bad", the film makes no point itself. Sure, it might succeed on the level about getting "people to talk about race", but as the movie shows, why is that such a great idea?
Amateur Hour
Greetings again from the darkness. Rainy days are always a good time to take a flyer on a movie for which not much is known. I should have just stood in the rain for 90 minutes. An award winning play from Rebecca Gilman, this one is turned into an amateur production by first time director Mark Brokaw. Even the abrasive Sarah Jessica Parker deserves better. A decent cast with SJP, Miranda Richardson, Beau Bridges and Mykelti Williamson (Bubba from Forrest Gump) can't come close to saving this one. This is a failed attempt at having us analyze our own prejudices and views on racism and political correctness. I can tell you where my prejudices lay ... on lousy, exploitive film-making. There are hundreds of films that bring more depth and reality to the topic so don't waste a nickel on this one at the theatre or even NetFlix.