Usually A Bane, Stereotypes Can Sometimes Be Tolerable

Here’s one difference between art and pap:

In art, a character is seen as more than a stereotype of his or her (choose one) gender, ethnic heritage, religious preference, sexual orientation, skin color, physical disfigurement/physical or emotional disability and/or anything else that can be used to describe someone in the simplest terms possible.

In pap, the would-be artist employs the traditional Western mechanism for portraying character motivation: Villains wear black, heroes wear white.

The subject of stereotype is a hot issue these days. More so than ever, elements of American society that long have been marginalized by the overall culture are striking back.

Wanting control of their images, Native Americans sue sports teams. Complaining that they have being used as the new and ongoing world bogeyman, Arabs protest their portrayals in Hollywood films. Gays and lesbians see themselves described in terms that, if applied to other traditionally oppressed groups — African Americans, Jews, women — likely would rouse parades of protesters.

Hollywood hasn’t been unaffected by all this (notice the double negative). It just hasn’t seemed particularly concerned, except where working with simplistic stereotypes will cost the offending production company money.

And to be fair, it’s not always easy to avoid stereotype, especially in cases where a sense of humor is called for. In the case of “Waking Ned Devine” (which is available on video this week, see capsule review below), the stereotypes can be forgiven because of other factors — good acting being prime among them.

Still, the best of cinema tackles those subjects that typically have lacked a voice. And in that arena, the filmmaker — the artist — manages to create something that is effective and authentic while being aesthetically fulfilling.

Here are a number of examples:

“Boyz N the Hood” (1991) — Before John Singleton’s stirring debut film, it was all too common for movies to dismiss life as it’s lived in urban Los Angeles. Singleton gave rise to a number of new cliches — gangsta as warrior, inner-city landscape as combat ground, etc. — but he also made a compelling argument for fatherhood and the need for what only can be called family values.

“Roots” (1977) — Originally broadcast on television, but available on video (six cassettes, 570 minutes), this David Green-directed miniseries — certainly for the first time on prime-time television — made slaves into real people and slavery into the inhuman institution that it undoubtedly was.

“Coal Miner’s Daughter” (1980) — We pay so much attention to various ethnic groups in this country that the real lives of working-class whites tend to get stereotyped as ignorant, racist, drunken and worse. Michael Apted’s biographical study of country singer Loretta Lynn goes far beyond the cliche, especially through the performance of Tommy Lee Jones as Lynn’s husband.

“The Celluloid Closet” (1995) — Instead of trying to list the several films of recent years that deal, realistically and compassionately with gay/lesbian issues, I recommend this documentary instead. The film, which is based on the late writer Vito Russo’s book, is an revealing exploration of how sexual orientation has been portrayed throughout the history of film.

“Cocoon” (1985) — Age bias makes the notion of casting a film with six senior citizens seem crazy. Yet that is exactly what Ron Howard did with this sci-fi-themed comedy-drama, benefitting from the talents of Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Gwen Verdon, Wilford Brimley, Maureen Stapleton, Don Ameche and Jack Gilford. Growing old never seemed more fun, especially when you don’t have to.

There are so many more cultural sub-groups that have had, or need to have, their stories told. Space prevents a full listing of all the worthy efforts.

You’ll just have to search on by yourselves.

This week’s major opening on video:

Waking Ned Devine ***

When a resident of a small Irish village wins the national lottery and promptly dies from the shock, his friends do what is only natural: They mourn his loss and try to figure out how to claim the prize for the whole village. The result of this little comedy, written and directed by Kirk Jones, is mostly fun with a few serious touches. The fun involves the various characters that, in this genre known as Irish Stereotype, entertain us with all but a few of the standard Darby O’Gill mannerisms. Even so, actors such as Ian Bannen and David Kelly boast the kind of talent that rises above cliche. As for the few serious moments, they end up being heartfelt instead of heartbreaking. The result is this year’s version of “The Full Monty,” even if the full range of themes is more reminiscent of the Hugh Grant comedy “The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain.” Rated PG