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At the movies
Courage Under Fire much brighter
light than The Nutty Professor
By B. B. Robinson
NEW VISION COMMENTARIES
Oprah Winfrey rained heavy
accolades on Eddie Murphy’s new
movie The Nutty Professor dur
ing her July 1 show. Given the
adverse, stereotypical images of
African Americans in The Nutty
Professor, Oprah would have
done African Americans a much
greater service by paying that
kind of obeisance to Denzel Wash
ington’s new movie Courage
Under Fire. In my estimation,
The Nutty Professor cannot hold
a candle to Courage Under Fire.
The billing for Courage Under
Fire is correct. Denzel Washing
ton gives an Academy-Award
caliber performance. The sub-
Ject matter is deep; the script is
superb; and it is an exquisitely
“clean” performance. There are
no frills. However, when the
movie is finished, you are en
chanted by what you have seen
and heard.
The movie is about Lt. Col. Nat
Serling (Denzel Washington)
who is detailed from the Penta
gon to determine, through an
investigation, whether helicop
ter pilot Captain Karen Walden
(Meg Ryan) is deserving of the
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Medal of Honor. The Medal is to
be given posthumously for
Walden’s valiant effort during
the Persian Gulf War. Seems sim
pleenough. But stir into this mix
the fact that Serling, formerly
himself a tank commander in
the Persian Gulf, is being inves
tigated by The Washington Post
for hisinvolvement in a “friendly
fire”incident. Also stirin the fact
that Walden is the first Ameri
can woman to be recommended
forthe Medal of Honor as a result
of combat service.
But there are two quandaries
for Serling. First, he hasassumed
a heavy drinking habit because
he cannot forgive himself for kill
ing his best friend during the
friendly-fire incident, and lying
to his friend’s parents about the
death. Second, there are some
discrepancies in the reports sur
rounding the events leading to
Walden’s death. Serling wants
to thoroughly investigate these
events but is pressured by his
commanding officer to rubber
stamp the initial reports. His
commanding officer, in turn, is
being pressured by the White
House and the Congress to ap
prove Walden’s Medal of Honor
posthaste. The political reality is
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that Walden’s Medal of Honor
can be used to create a surge of
patriotism in the country, and
make the American people feel
proud about what happened in
the Persian Gulf.
Beingthe soldier and holder of
moral values that he is, Serling
defies his commanding officer
and moves ahead with the inves
tigation. He puts himself at risk
to the point of being officially
kicked off the investigation. But
he continues on his own terms
and comes, with the viewer, to
several realizations:
First, you realize the Army op
erates in a different world: It has
its own rules for living and sur
viving. Second, you realize the
Army often bends over back
wards to satisfy the whims of the
politicians in Washington. Third,
you realize the politicians are
not beyond manipulating events
tocontrol the psyche of the Amer
ican people. Finally, you realize
you become expendable when you
get in the way of those politi
cians’ plans and the Army’s at
tempts to execute those plans.
Serling understands all of this,
yet he is willing to put every
thing on the line to “get this one
right.” He is willing to sacrifice it
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all, even his family, to make real
his life-long dream of being a
good soldier who operates on high
moral principles, and he does not
faii. He finds the truth, not only
about Walden, but about him
self. And these truths make him
whole again.
Courage Under Fire is a much
greater movie than The Nutty
Professor because of the absence
of adverse stereotypical images
of African Americans. In fact,
the movie depicts African Amer
icans as full-bodied human be
ings with great character. The
movie is also special because it
focuses on a woman in a non
traditional role, something be
yond even most contemporary
movies. To put it succinctly, if
one is searching for a prototype
or formula for how non-domi
nant groups should be depicted
in movies, the search is over.
New Visions Commentaries
represent the views of their au
thorsand not necessarily those of
Project 21. B. B. Robinson is a
member of the national Advisory
Council of the African-American
leadership group Project 21, and
president of Eye on the Media,
Inc.
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Letters
Parking a problem downitown
The Augusta Chronicle has
been reporting the parking prob
lems on Broad Street. Employ
ees want to park where it is suit
able for them and not their cli
ents. Yet The Augusta Chronicle
wants the federal agencies re
stored to downtown. This would
supposedly boost downtown busi
nesses’ vitality. Then the cus
tomers would not be able to park.
Customers have to be enticed
to shop downtown. But every
time another alcoholic beverage
outlet is licensed more problems
are created. For every alcoholic
beverage outlet there are 1.4 se
rious crimes committed — yet
this was encouraged while the
city closed down a storefront
church. Someone’s priorities are
wrong.
Consolidation was rammed
through while claiming the city
was not broke and that consoli
dation would be beneficial — by
reducing overhead. Yes, the city
was broke and the waterworks,
the prime source of its wealth,
was being neglected except for
Longs for quality Paine
performances of days past
Question: Why haven’t we had
any good performances from the
Paine College drama clubinyears?
The past two year: we have seen
one or two plays on acts that were
the pits. Once upon a time Paine
College had a really good drama
Lauds Heritage festival
We recently attended the first
Heritage Unity Festival held at
Riverwalk and were thoroughly
entertained and enlightened by
all the talented artists in atten
dance. The variety of vendors of
fering foods and artistic creations
added a genuine ethnic flair. The
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financing
August 22, 1996
using its receipts. Now millions
are needed to update the city’s
waterand sewerage system while
overlooking the needs of south
Richmond County. The former
Richmond County water and
sewerage system has millions —
that is correct — millions, but
neglects upgrading services.
Why? The city is having to be
bailed out! Why??
Consolidation was simply to
enslave the county to the Demo
cratic Party. The county and the
Board of Education continue to
use voting districts that discrim
inate against whites, in violation
of the Supreme Court rulings in
Johnson v. Miller, 1,2 and 3. The
county unit system was abolished
because it violated the one man
one vote rule. Now it is accept
able to disenfranchise whites.
Augusta has need of at least
one first-class news medium, be
it newspapers, radioor tv. The tv
stations are especially lackingin
quality.
David L. Johnson
Augusta
club that did wonderful perfor
mances three or more timesa year.
What's up with this?
I am concerned about a tradi
tion gone to the dumps.
M.C.B.
Augusta
festival can only get better.
Joyce Brooks, her staff, and oth
er organizers are to be commend
ed for their vision and compre
hensive planning [of] such a won
derful event.
Ellis M. and Ann Johnson
Augusta
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