Slanted View

Harold & Kumar Shut Out of Oscars
by Nathaniel Jue

It was that time of year again, where the much ballyhooed Academy Awards were given to recognize cinematic achievement from the past year. For Hollywoodites, Entertainment Tonight and the portion of the American public who care about award shows, last week was an anxious time, as the Oscar winners were awarded. Who could beat Jamie Foxx’s reincarnation as the late Ray Charles? Would Sideways sneak up on the competition? How many awards would The Aviator get? The results were both impressive and typical. Perennial contenders as Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood received their run-of-the-mill recognition for their never-dying, obvious talents. BORING! For them receiving more Oscars to add their their trophy cases is like Barry Bonds winning the MVP every year – it’s so impressive it’s ordinary.

However, as always, there are going to be some glaring omissions made by the Academy. In all award shows, it’s hard to scour the numerous candidates and narrow the list down to only a few, and from that few, select the most outstanding for the year. For the Oscars, it’s probably difficult to look at the thousands of actors and actresses in all of roles in all of the movies combined that were released in the year and whittle off five worthy nominees. The most obvious oversight that comes to mind is the cinematic genius of Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle. Where the heck was this movie in the eyes and minds of the Oscar committee? How could it be bypassed in favor of Johnny Depp and Million Dollar Baby? Please. Here’s how the selections should have gone:

Best Actors: John Cho & Kal Penn for their portrayals of Harold & Kumar.
In the history of American cinema, the typical Asian American male character is the math nerd, Chinese chef, kung fu guy, or Asian crime boss. Rarely is an Asian actor asked to stretch his acting skills beyond his martial arts or calculus repertoire and carry the film as the lead character, especially a comedic film. The ability to convincingly play characters that one is generally not asked to play is the mark of pure acting talent. A truly great actor is versatile and able to play roles out of the ordinary. He breaks the mold of the prototype of the generic character, showing that there is no role he is unwilling or unable to become - like Tom Cruise as a bad guy in Collateral; Jim Carrey in a dramatic role in Eternal Sunshine; or Jamie Foxx as Ray. In this case, both Cho and Penn broadened their ranges as the title characters in a film about a couple of everyday all-American pot smokers. The roles of stoners aren’t typically written for Asian Americans, and it was that challenge for Cho and Penn to sell these characters to the audience. Hand them the statue of the golden man!

Moreover, Cho and Penn proved that two Asian American males could be lead characters in a Hollywood comedy, playing two ordinary 20-something pot smokers in search of White Castle hamburgers, all without the use of kung fu or a foreign accent. That’s high quality acting if I’ve ever seen any, beyond the same old habitual performances by Depp and DiCaprio. We all know they can act, dammit! Magic Marker their names on the ballot every year, why don’t you? But give us the men who went above and beyond the call of duty, who stepped into shoes not worn before in American movie history, who carried a mainstream feature film for the very first time. Depp and Leo are great actors, but could they have pulled off this comedy? I don’t think so.

A nomination for both Cho and Penn, however, would not only represent their ability to play these roles, but also represent their impact on the entire Asian community. They show us that Asian Americans can succeed in this industry, that they are a tour de force in this business, and can be pretty funny dudes. Therefore, they should have at least been nominated for their work as the great Asian American comedy team, Harold & Kumar. John and Kal, you were robbed!

Best Screenplay – Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
Yes, there were stories that were more educational, more epic, more profound and more real. More inspiring and more intelligent. With more substance and more validity. So what? The story of Harold & Kumar was so different. It had everything you could think of plus everything you would never think of all wrapped in one. There was comedy, life-or-death action, a heartwarming father-son moment, romance, and an irrelevant cameo by Doogie Howser. How great of a story is that? Furthermore, it was the first nationwide movie in my lifetime that featured Asian American males in a comedy. And because it’s a story that relates to people of all races, ethnicities, social classes, and education levels, it’s a film that is universally enjoyable. And it isn’t often that Asian Americans are the ones leading the laugh parade.

This movie did touch on some ethnic issues that Asian Americans face, briefly mentioning racial stereotypes, cultural pressures from parents, and personality perceptions. As such it may seem as though the target audience is post-college Asian American males. Instead, Harold & Kumar was aimed towards Americans of all colors, ages, and gender. It appealed to anyone who has ever had the munchies, anyone who ever went on a midnight adventure, or anyone who wanted to date the girl or guy next door. By relating to people of all shades, Harold & Kumar showed that America is a diverse and wonderful country. And if you are determined enough, no matter who you are, you can reach your heart’s desires. Well, maybe it wasn’t exactly that cheesy, but it was a little inspiring. Still, it was a great story that deserved some recognition for displaying America’s diversity.

Best Film – Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
I’ve already mentioned how great the acting was and how wonderful the script was. So we know it must qualify for best overall film. Its merits, however, go beyond the acting and storyline. Its intangible impact on the viewer goes beyond aesthetics, crossing multiple cultures and reaching a broader American public. In fact, Harold & Kumar sort of redefines what “American” is, by showing that Asians are funny, can star in feature films, and can draw sizable audiences. This is very important to the movie industry.

The Asian American community and population in the U.S. is a desirable, thriving market, as Better Luck Tomorrow, Harold & Kumar and Hero have confirmed. People will pay to see movies no matter what race or ethnicity of the characters or actors. Harold & Kumar isn’t a period epic like The Last Emperor or Crouching Tiger that provides a historical educational lesson in Asian culture and folklore. But it has established itself as an American movie, one that stretches to a wider public audience.

Make no mistake, Harold & Kumar provided a foundation to build upon for Asian actors, films, directors, and screenwriters. We see many African American comedies that center around African American stories and experiences, but that appeal to people of all colors, such as the widely popular, Friday. Harold & Kumar has broke ground for future films to attract all types of American audiences. It’s a film that will stir America into believing that the Asian market needs to be tapped, and Asians can bring viewers to box offices.

Asian Americans are a part of the film industry and should be recognized for their efforts on and off the screen. Harold & Kumar’s sociological influence on the film industry is immeasurable. There is potential for Asian actors. They now know that there are vehicles out there for them to be a part of, including comedy films. They aren’t bound to martial arts or art house movies. Harold & Kumar formed a union that could pave the way for more Asian American tandems like Starsky & Hutch, or Dumb & Dumber, or Friday. That’s what makes Harold & Kumar was the most important, most powerful, most influential movie of 2004. It holds the candle for a greater cause.

So maybe, next year when considering the Oscar nominees, the Academy will look past the standard performances of the perpetual favorites and select a movie with a deeper, omnipotent purpose. Maybe the committee will see that these guys deserve recognition, too, and next year they won’t overlook the performance of a couple of Asian American stoners.

Nathaniel Jue has been writing ever since he won first place in his fourth grade essay contest. However, he has been ranting for the past 26 years.