Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Sugar: Some fears confirmed

Sundance 'Sugar' High -LA Times blog
"Soto plays the title character, a 20-year-old athlete raised in relative poverty to be a pro ball player. His family's entire future rests on his success. He's recruited to play for a Kansas City farm team, but his overwhelming excitement is soon muted when he finds himself far from home in all-white Bridgetown, Iowa, with no English skills and a naivete about U.S. culture."

It sounds like it won't portray Iowa in a very good manner. However, at least Davenport has been changed to "Bridgetown," the world's least original name.


To be fair, maybe it turns out that the "all-white" town isn't so bad (or so white?) after all. If not, however, I think its kind of screwed up for the filmmakers to accept Iowa tax incentives and then turn around a make a film that confirms false stereotypes about Iowans being racist hicks. Its bad enough that the mainstream media acted shocked that "white" Iowa could choose a black presidential nominee; the last thing we need is a movie showing is in a negative light.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

since you haven't seen the film-how about holding off on the judgement about the film makers accepting tax credits at least until you've seen it.

QuadCityImages said...

I'll be the first one to apologize if I'm wrong, but everything I read sounds like its a New Yorker's version of what Iowa is. Evangelical, white, etc...

Hello, we voted for Al Gore...

Anonymous said...

I agree, lets hope that the film doesn't negatively impact tourism or development. QCI, dont be too upset, I dont think the small audiences who will watch this film will associate it with the real quad cities.

Anonymous said...

What do you want, for the makers to actually let people know how Davenport really is? People would be shocked to find out that we actually attract every thug gang banger kicked out of public housing from Chicago by offering the best and least monitored low income housing tax incentives can buy.They would be shocked to find out that we allow our best and more historic neighborhoods go to waste. They would be shocked to find out about the drive buys and drug buys and prostitutes. We give ourselves a bad name from our own neglect and lack of pride.

Anonymous said...

Maybe QCI has been hanging around with Keith too much?

Unknown said...

I said earlier it is quite ironic if they portray Iowa as a bunch of white bumpkins considering the neighborhood around the ballpark. I can handle having some ignorant or dumb Iowans portrayed as long as they portray some decent Iowa people too.

9:14 - Dude, you are way over-exaggerating.

Unknown said...

The MSM certainly did have egg on their face when it came to Obama's win in Iowa. The polls even showed Obama comfortably ahead over a week before the caucus and they still were shocked at the outcome. A lot of talking heads lost a lot of credibility after that and after N.H.

Unknown said...

This should make you feel better (spoiler warning):
indieWIRE Review of Sugar

Here's a quote:
But ever the humanists, Boden and Fleck never condescend to this Iowa heartland, with its overwhelming devotion to baseball and God. Careful to avoid stereotypes, Sugar's burly tobacco-chewing Iowa coach isn't some brutish ball-breaker, but also shows a sensitive side. And there's a tentative flirtation between Sugar and an evangelical white girl, which says more about Sugar's awkward relationship to America than providing any love-interest cliche.

Anonymous said...

That's a rather uplifting synopsis.

And yea, 9:14, what planet are you from? Wow. Frankie says, RELAX. You'd think we lived in Compton circa 1992 reading that.

Anonymous said...

You guys don't live SOLO do you?
9;14 isn't too far off in his assessment. Take a look around sometime, we are the poverty capital of the QCA and of the state. With the execption of Cedar Rapids. Low income housing = no waiting = every loser drug dealing thug from Chicago. If you love in an all white flight neighborhood you have no idea.

Anonymous said...

Even if your assessment of these particular areas is true, it's not even close for the entire City. A problem? Sure, but you're greatly exaggerating.

Anonymous said...

To think that the "problem" areas don't effect the entire sity is pretty ignorant. BY attracting and maintaining criminals and dependant people in Davenport hurts all of us who love this town.

Crime is on the rise. Dependant people repoprt coming here because we offer low income housing and free servics to them. Most do not work, nor intend to. They do not pay taxes and they create the need for more police protection and other services that we all pay for. Unfortuately for some, who live in teh "effected" areas like SOLO and NW and West areas, they see the "effect" daily in the form of disrespectful youth wandering, drive bys drug deals and slum rental housing. So others it is out of sight out of mind. Unfortunately, for those who see its effects daily, they do not have the power to change this cycle in Davenport. For those in power, and not directly effected, they think that it is good that we are "helping' the needy.