Even though I’ve heard some pretty bad reviews, I was really excited to go watch 21 since it was filmed at my school last year. The story takes place at MIT, but for cost and location release issues, this “true story” is mostly filmed at Boston University. And now, turns out the cast also loosely follows a “true story”—the original MIT Blackjack team was made up of Asian males, not Caucasian males that studio execs decided to cast for the film.
Ben Mezrich, the author of “Bringing Down the House” (the book that 21 is based on), has also criticized the casting process:
During the talk, Mezrich mentioned the stereotypical Hollywood casting process — though most of the actual blackjack team was composed of Asian males, a studio executive involved in the casting process said that most of the film’s actors would be white, with perhaps an Asian female. Even as Asian actors are entering more mainstream films, such as “Better Luck Tomorrow” and the upcoming “Memoirs of a Geisha,” these stereotypes still exist, Mezrich said.
(SOURCE: http://www-tech.mit.edu/V125/N43/43vegas.html)
Why is it so difficult for Asians to be portrayed as a main character in Hollywood films? And I’m not talking about films like Harold and Kumar. I def agree with Reappropriate that we need more Asian directors and actors in Hollywood. If execs could only see that there is a NEED and a market for an Asian cast. I’m tired of the same old films and want to see stories that I can relate to. For those that are extremely outraged, feel free to join the Boycott 21 Facebook Group.
As for me, I’m still curious as to how the movie is, just to see familiar Boston Landmarks (FYI: the library microform scenes are shot at where I work). I won’t be paying $10 at the movies. Instead, I’ll wait for the DVD.
