Our Politically Correct Past
Recently, I saw the movie “Big Fish.” It is a movie about a son who tries to come to terms with not knowing whom his dying father really is, only to learn he’s known him all along. Unfortunately, the movie is receiving critical claim because the thing is borderline crap. The movie is nothing more than a Susan Sarandon mother/daughter love flick without the soft focus.

However, I have a problem with the movie for another reason. The movie made some politically correct casting decisions. The decisions were not as drastic as the local evening news with one of everything plus a second of another thrown in for good measure. But, the decisions were still noticeable.

Many scenes in “Big Fish” take place as a flash back to segregationist Alabama between most likely the 1940s through 1960s, with one scene in the early 1970s. This is significant because the main character in the movie is white. In the flash back scenes, the main character is seen as a youth – growing up in segregationist Alabama mind you, with a black playmate paling around in a group of whites. The scene in the 1970s shows the main character’s child being born with a black physician on hand (played by TV’s loveable Benson I might add).

In Alabama at those times, I highly doubt a black kid and group of whites would have ever been within ten feet of one another on the basis of equals. And I hardly doubt a black doctor would have been allowed to deliver a white baby. And I hope I am wrong on both accounts. But I seriously doubt it.

My question is why did the moviemakers make the questionable casting decision? Was it because the movie is about the telling and believing of tall tales so the allusion that segregation didn’t exist becomes part of that tale? Or is because it really doesn’t matter, after all it is just a movie; so a few jobs might as well be given to black actors? If that is the case, why not pick the cast by choosing “one from everything?” If it truly doesn’t matter in the context of this movie, when do we start telling people that there is the blight of segregation in America’s past? Do we tell them only in school when it is time to learn?

I would think that no matter what the situation, we as a society would want to be reminded of our past. That is not to advocate that society be collectively hit over the head with the reminder in every minute of every day. But where it is appropriate to show that at one time institutional racism did exist in this country– in depictions of that time - we should show it.

As we strive for a more integrated and equal society, if a child, white or black, asks why there is no one “that is different” in a movie scene, we should be able to tell him. It will provide a litmus test to show us how far we have come as a nation and as a civilization towards reaching our liberal goals.

Otherwise, we will begin to forget out pasts. And you know what they say . . . Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.

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