Do The Right Thing: 30 Years Later

I remember Rosie Perez dancing to "Fight the Powers That Be" at the beginning of the movie.

Love it. I only saw it for the first time 2 years ago.

Great movie. Should have at least been nominated for best picture that year.

White Texas chick and I found DTRT incredibly compelling and moving. Definitely his best movie, IMO.

He was a real prick to someone I know in retail not a shop queen the district manager but he got robbed he definitely should’ve been nominated and won the Oscar for that.

[quote]What did you think of the film? Should it have been nominated for Best Picture and Best Director?

Absolutely not! It was an interesting social commentary. And it had some funny scenes here and there. But the whole idea that it was a "great" film or that it was "robbed" of an Oscar nomination is ridiculous. Makes me wonder, would it have gotten that type of "it was robbed of an Oscar" reaction if the director were white??? People probably would've just been like "it was a good movie" and that's it.

Like most of his films, he tries to do a bit too much, but it's definitely one of his best and was more provocative and ambitious than most of the movies that reached the cineplex that year. The cinematography is fantastic. Oddly, the best written characters were the Italian Americans. I agree that Aiello really deserved his Oscar. OTOH, Lee wasted people like Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee who were given one dimensional roles. Giancarlo Esposito is a standout because his role was so much better written than many others.

I mean, this is the year Driving Miss Daisy won. It was definitely better than that. I still remember Kim Basinger giving it a drunken shout out when she was presenting something.

It's weird...I saw this movie in a small town in Sweden when it came out. Packed with the whitest of white people. But they loved it.

I haven't seen it lately--or ever. I did see Car Wash for the first time a couple of years ago. Watching Repo Man (again) now.

I always thought Joie Lee was very pretty.

Of course that movie should’ve won an Oscar. And it didn’t.

I laugh at pricks on DL who try to tell people what sort of taste in art they should have.

Shite

Ossie Davis and Rubie Lee were supposed to be one-dimensional characters, in my opinion. Their purpose was to be the Greek Chorus of the neighborhood and story.

[quote]Makes me wonder, would it have gotten that type of "it was robbed of an Oscar" reaction if the director were white???

Sorry, but a white director wouln't know how to write that particular movie.

For me one of the things that's special about the film is how it enables you to get a sense of how all of the characters feel what's happening all around them, whether you agree with them or not.

That's a good point r15. You totally feel Mookie's rage but totally understand Sal and his devastation over his restaurant.

That piece of shit, Driving Miss Daisy, won an Oscar? For "Best Picture? Jesus!

R17 No, Miss Daisy was actually a good movie. Good drama with really good performances. Miss Daisy winds up with Alzheimer's or dementia at the end. Maybe not "the best" movie of the year, but it was a good winner regardless.

I haven't seen it, tell me why I should. What's great about it?

The Greek Chorus argument doesn't hold up. They were wasted in parts with bad writing. Other than Giancarlo Esposito, the black actors had the weakest writing and direction.

R20 I think the point was to emphasize white racism.

[quote] I remember Rosie Perez dancing to "Fight the Powers That Be" at the beginning of the movie.

That and the three old men in lawn chairs on the sidewalk acting like a Greek chorus are by far the best things in the movie.

Danny Aiello was excellent in this movie. A much deserved Supporting Actor nomination.

Spike's sister Joie Lee was gorgeous.