Was Cushman's dad racist? Or just greedy?
-
EyeDunno — 17 years ago(September 14, 2008 05:53 PM)
Such an ambiguous and wide-open scenario since the filmmakers didn't explain exactly why which is just the reason I like open-ended reasons. So my take is, it depends on the viewer. A hundred people have a hundred different possible responses as to what went on inside Cush's mind, depending on the obvious (what he said), to his body language and the reaction to his comments. My own take? That's my own personal thing, which doesn't have to be shared, unless someone truly is clueless or confused.
-
kylopod — 17 years ago(November 27, 2008 04:47 AM)
I've noticed that Hollywood films will often stick a racist line into the mouth of an unsympathetic character just to make that character seem even more despicable. The main point of this sequence is that Cushman's dad is an opportunist, not that he is a racist. But the line adds a new dimension to the situation. If he hadn't said it, some in the audience might have concluded that he's an okay guy despite his disloyalty to Jerry. But since the film is a feel-good movie about the importance of loyalty, the filmmakers didn't want to distract us with complexities, such as the idea that a disloyal person might otherwise be a good person. So they had Cushman's dad make this out-of-left-field slur against a character we already like, and thus he comes off as not just dishonorable, but unlikable as well.
-
ghetarr2001 — 17 years ago(January 01, 2009 06:17 AM)
True enough. It was also a matter of "what have you done for me lately", in my opinion. Clearly, Jerry thought he had Cush "in the bag" as they say, and hence spent the time he would have otherwise been recruiting a top draft pick with Rod. Having seen that, the father, who is being hounded by Sugar all the while, gives in, basically because Sugar has been there in the most crucial moments, the days leading up to the draft, to position himself firmly within the circle of trust. Either way, any father willing to just switch a commitment as important as that, the way he did, was truly despicable. But these things happen all the time, Crowe was just writing from real life experiences through his research.
-
avalanche222 — 16 years ago(April 07, 2009 08:34 PM)
to quote someone else on this forum; you really wear your insecurities on your sleeve. "out-of-left-field-slur", lol, get over yourself.
You're right, the line does add a "new dimension". It went over your head apparently:
http://www.imdb.com/board/10116695/board/thread/96516448?d=135048922&p=2#135048922
http://www.imdb.com/board/10116695/board/thread/96516448?d=126840182&p=2#126840182 -
mossysgiants — 12 years ago(June 05, 2013 05:41 AM)
Saying someone is black, when clearly they are, is not racist. It has nothing to do with being racist. If someone has ginger hair and you describe them as having ginger hair, is that discriminatery? No, it's just a description!
-
kylopod — 12 years ago(June 05, 2013 06:39 AM)
Saying someone is black, when clearly they are, is not racist.
It depends on the context. If the person's race is relevant to the conversation, that's one thing. But just bringing up a person's race out of the blue while criticizing or dismissing them, when it has nothing to do with the subject at hand, is a way of implying there's something wrong with the person's race. -
pacinofan58 — 16 years ago(June 05, 2009 11:49 AM)
It had nothing to do with his father being a racist, it had to do with teams preferring to deal with one agent more than another. Cushmans dad wanted the kid to go first in the draft, and the team that they were pushing for, wanted to deal with the firm Maguire got canned from, rather than Maguire himself. It happens all the time. If you go to Fox Sports, you will see this very thing happening with the super agent Drew Rosenhaus. He has been fired by quite a few clients recently, who have had a problem settling their contract disputes, because Rosenhaus is very aggressive, and teams don't want to deal with him.so he has been let go by a bunch of athletes of late, for that reason!
-
hnt_dnl — 16 years ago(July 05, 2009 11:00 AM)
It's an interesting question. I think that the "black fellow" statement, taken in context, was more that he was peeved that Jerry would dare to focus on anyone but his son, who was the biggest draft pick in years. Just a function of where he comes from and how he grew up that he made a statement like that.
-
dhmason6155 — 16 years ago(February 01, 2010 07:28 AM)
What bothers me is that they replaced the word "colored fella" for "black fella". Political correctness at work again.
"I have to pee"
"There'll be plenty of time to pee in Heaven"
"There's peeing in Heaven?" -
jane_bront — 12 years ago(April 10, 2013 07:52 PM)
I still don't get it. It looked like Jerry spent a
lot
of time with Cush that day with apparently no hint that anything is amiss from Mr. Cushman. He spends what looks like a half an hour, or hour tops, walking through the lobby with Tidwell and the next thing you know the man that said he didn't do contracts
"did"
a contract with Sugar who is an obvious slimeball. Why not tell Sugar 'I'll get back to you' and ask Jerry if he could definitely get Denver for Cush?
~"Chris, am I weird?"
~"Yeah, but so what? Everybody's weird."