Native Son

Author(s): Ryne
Location: Portland

“Native Son"

Produced by Brain Helgeland and Craig Brewer
Directed by Craig Brewer
Written by Terry George

Principal Cast:

Nick Cannon as Bigger Thomas
Jake Gyllenhaal as Jan
Emma Watson as Mary Dalton
Alec Baldwin as Mr. Dalton
Jodie Foster as Mrs. Dalton
Jennifer Hudson as Bessie

Tagline: "White America Lead to His Downfall"

Synopsis: An adaptation of Richard Wright’s 1940’s novel Native Son.

Nick Cannon stars as Bigger Thomas, a twenty-year old African-American man who lives with his family in their one bedroom apartment on the south side of Chicago. The Thomas’ landlord and the owner of the South Side Real Estate Company, Mr. Dalton (Baldwin) graciously offers Bigger a job as his family’s personal chauffeur. Bigger is hesitant to take the job, but for the benefit of his family, he accepts. His first task calls on him to drive Mr. Dalton’s communist daughter, Mary (Watson), to a school play at the local university. Mary seems like a nice girl, but she constantly pesters Bigger about unions and racial equality. She informs Bigger that she has no intentions to go to the play; Mary wants spend time with her boyfriend, Jan (Gyllenhaal) instead. Mr. Dalton and his blind wife (Foster) do not approve of Mary’s relationship with Jan because of the ten-year age difference and Jan’s poor influences on Mary. Bigger picks up Jan who as a poised charisma about himself which Bigger despises. Jan pressures Bigger into joining the Socialist Party of Chicago, which he himself heads. Bigger does not wish any trouble this white man so he agrees to take several brochures about the party. Following dinner at a local south side chicken parlor, Jan and Mary begin to drink and fornicate in the back of the Dalton’s Buick. After several hours of this, Bigger drops Jan back off at his house and takes Mary back to the Dalton household. Mary is noticeably drunk and is unable to get to her own room. Bigger carries Mary up to her room, where she begins to seduce Bigger. Bigger kisses the young heiress in return, but then hears a noise in the doorway. He pushes a pillow over Mary’s face so she doesn’t make a noise. The figure continues approach Bigger until he recognizes the pallid complexion of Mrs. Dalton. Bigger continues to watch Mrs. Dalton move closer and closer to him. She pauses, turns, and walks away, hands on the wall, guiding her away from her now dead daughter’s murderer. Bigger realizes that he has killed Mary and deposes her body in the family’s basement furnace. He believes he can blame Mary’s disappearance on Jan and the Communist Party.

Bigger masterminds a plan that would make both him and his girlfriend, Bessie (Hudson), very wealthy. His plan calls for a ransom letter to be delivered to the Dalton household asking for one hundred thousand dollars and with the signature “Red”. Bigger hopes to throw the Dalton’s off his trail with this communistic reference. His plan starts off very well. The police arrest Jan and no one seems to suspect Bigger because he is an “ignorant negro” as Mr. Dalton puts it. However, Bigger’s plan spirals out of control when he refuses to clean the ashes out of the furnace. Subsequently, Mr. Dalton decides to clean out the ashes in the furnace only to discover Mary’s charred bones lying at the bottom of it. Bigger is now on the run from the police and the oppression of white society. He ultimately is caught by the Chicago police and after a heated trail, sentenced to death. The movie ends with Jan visiting Bigger in jail. He forgives Bigger for falsely putting the blame on him and wishes Bigger the best of luck in the afterlife. Native Son is a heartbreaking story about love, forgiveness, and social oppression.

What the press would say:

When Richard Wright’s novel Native Son originally came out in 1940, controversy struck a nation. This is sure to happen with Craig Brewer’s new adaptation of the classic novel. Native Son depicts the harsh world of pre-Civil Rights Chicago. Brewer perfectly directs this ensemble masterpiece. With his direction, this movie conveys a message of harsh oppression and does not apologize for it. The acting is superb; led by the amazing Nick Cannon. Nick Cannon has made quite a transformation in his new role as Bigger Thomas. He flawlessly portrays the soft-spoken yet arrogant nature of Bigger Thomas. Cannon shows an array of emotions, all of which perfectly fit the concept of Bigger Thomas. His performance is not only Oscar worthy, but also “AFI Top 100 Performances” worthy. In the supporting, Jake Gyllenhaal gives a commanding performance as the sympathetic Communist leader. This role is sure to define Gyllenhaal’s career. It is amazing how he can alter from utter hatred towards Bigger in one scene to absolute compassion for him the next. Gyllenhaal adds another tier to his incredible acting repertoire. This performance should garish a well-deserved Oscar nomination and maybe an Oscar victory. The young Emma Watson also gives an incredibly astounding performance as the bewildered Mary Dalton. Her screen time might be limited to the first half of the film, but she makes every second of it count. The audience can tell Mary tries to stay strong and confident about herself, but is unsure about the situation she is in with Jan. Alec Baldwin once again proves why he is one of the best, yet most underrated actors in Hollywood. His performance as the hypocritical Mr. Dalton is the finest supporting role of the year and it would have been the best role of the year had it not been for his co-star Nick Cannon. The viewer can honestly distinguish that Mr. Dalton feels he is working in the best interest of the African-American community even though he raises the price their rent to make a larger profit. Overall, Craig Brewer’s Native Son is a cinematic masterpiece and the best motion picture in many many years.

FYC:

Best Picture
Best Director- Craig Brewer
Best Actor- Nick Cannon
Best Supporting Actor- Jake Gyllenhaal
Best Supporting Actor- Alec Baldwin
Best Supporting Actress- Emma Watson
Best Adapted Screenplay- Terry George