The One Film That's Surprisingly Better than 12 Years A Slave

First, sorry it's now two months past Oscar season, but I've been wanting to write about this for a while.
Second, don't worry, this post is spoiler free.  Mostly. Mwahahahah! (JK, it really is spoiler-free.)

I'll start with 12 Years a Slave.
Directed by Steve McQueen, 2013

Oh, this old trope again.

My reaction upon hearing about (and subsequently watching) 12 Years was: Do we really need another movie about American slavery? Do black actors really want to play these kind of roles? I mean, at least Django went for uncharted territory. And if you're a black actor/actress, please let me know in the comments: do you want to play/enjoy playing a slave character?!

I ask because I'm afraid that while racist attitudes still permeate so much of modern society, movies like this give us permission to feel okay about what's happening today, because hey! black people aren't slaves anymore! Hallelujah! Except that if you've seen the doc, The House I Live In (should be required viewing for every American), or read the book (am currently reading) The New Jim Crow, you will see how microscopically tiny we've actually moved the needle.

Or you know, if you've glimpsed any news about Trayvon Martin or Melissa Alexander.

Which is why we need films like Fruitvale Station. 
Directed by Ryan Coogler (that last name!), 2009

Let me show you what films can be about. 

Fruitvale Station is based on the true story of Oscar Grant and his fatal run-in with the San Francisco PD. The story unfolds with heart-wrenching tenderness and leaves you wondering how do bad things like this keep happening in this bastion of political correctness and affirmative actions. Coogler does a great job in his directorial debut, having secured both a Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at last year's Sundance. (Don't worry, that old white man crew called the Academy of course snubbed it in typical fashion, because already included one black film already!) Watch it, because....

Here's something about my family that I don't usually bring up because it's so weirdly sensational, and frankly, I hadn't seen this cousin since we were kids, but that only underscores how incidents like this — when they involve black people — are so commonplace that they can make local news and never reach national attention. So get ready for heavy. My cousin (Henry) Orlando Bryant was stunned to death by police officers in an Indiana family restaurant. We weren't very close, and most of you know I'm not close to any of my family at all, so it didn't really affect me personally. And unfortunately, I don't know much more than what's reported in the news, but clearly, there's way more stuff happening than ever gets the attention it needs and so when I see that someone is making yet another film that makes white people feel better about slavery (even by you, Brad Pitt), I want to smack them back to reality.

Hollywood, from now on, when you want to recognize an "important film", let's stop showering accolades on that old walnut about how America freed the slaves  and start supporting films that get us out of our comfort zone. I know, tall order.

Rest in peace, cuz.