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The Debut (2000)
The Debut (2000)
2000 | Comedy, Drama, International
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Must See
Bottom Line: You need to watch The Debut. It's not the best movie out there, but I think it's absolutely necessary as we strive to understand race and our place in the world. No, the acting isn't out-of-this-world and the film is a bit cheesy in spots. The beauty of it all is that it still manages to deliver a powerful message in spite of its shortcomings.

The story revolves around Ben Mercado (Dante Basco). Ben is trying to find himself. He's torn between the lines of his Filipino culture and the rest of the majority world. Racism is tackled head-on, self-racism being one of the most central focuses. When you come from a strong, influential culture, it's not unreal to be scrutinized by others within that culture because you don't confine to the norm. There's power in seeing it unfold in front of you.

I thoroughly enjoyed the insight into the Filipino culture and their traditions. As different as cultures and races can be, it's very interesting to see the similarities that bind us. The birthday party that was thrown for Ben's sister had a familiar feel to the cookouts my mom used to host growing up. At the same time, the differences are also glaring. There is a scene where Ben hits up a party with his friends and he's the only minority there. While he was with people he knew, he still felt out of place. Been there. Interestingly enough, he felt most comfortable around the family and culture he spent part of his life running from, even when there was heavy tension afoot. If that's not real life, I don't know what is.

Director Gene Cajayon made it pretty easy for you to become invested in Ben. You've got everyone trying to decide his life for him while he puts his heart and soul into a passion that no one respects. His father wants him to go to medical school and follow in his own footsteps, but Ben has other plans. Everything comes to a head at his sister's birthday party where the story primarily takes place.

I do wish there were subtitles during the scenes were they were speaking Filipino, however I understand the director's choice to keep that barrier up. At the same time, I felt it lessened the impact of what was being said. It was awkward in spots, but awkwardly real.

The film reinforces one thing among many: We still struggle with race issues today and, unfortunately, it's hard for people on the other side of the coin to properly address those issues. Progress is slow, but as long as there is progress of some sort, it's the only way we can really hope to get better as a society.

So glad this film randomly found its way onto my Movies 365 list. I give it a 73.
  
    Big Ideas (Audio)

    Big Ideas (Audio)

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    Podcast

    Big Ideas offers lectures on a variety of thought-provoking topics which range across politics,...

    The Conversations

    The Conversations

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    Podcast

    Welcome to The Conversations - with Jason Campbell and Henrietta Gallina. We started this podcast as...

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Fran Lebowitz recommended Queer Street in Books (curated)

 
Queer Street
Queer Street
James McCourt | 2005 | History & Politics, LGBTQ+
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"I beg people to read this book. He tells you about a sensibility that has ceased to exist. In this book you see what the status markers were within the homosexual community in this era. And the status markers were how much you knew, how smart you were, how cultivated you were. It had nothing to do with money – that’s not what status was about. There used to be competing values in this culture."

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Sara Cox (1845 KP) rated Songbird in Books

Apr 16, 2020  
Songbird
Songbird
Ingrid Laguna | 2019 | Children, Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
What a beautiful book! I absolutely loved reading this. It's about an Iraqi refugee in Australia and her mum and younger brother. She's trying to fit in at school while at the same time trying to help her mum who is struggling with the change in culture (especially language) while being in what appears to be a state of depression. It is beautifully written. It is a story that really touches the heart.