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Out of Omaha
By Brian Costello,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Excellent coming-of-age docu; cursing, drinking, smoking.
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Out of Omaha
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What's the Story?
OUT OF OMAHA follows Darcell Trotter from his late teens into his early 20s as he tries to make something of as life amid the institutionalized poverty and racism of North Omaha, Nebraska. He's attending college classes at the University of Nebraska, through Avenue Scholars, a scholarship program. As Trotter adjusts to college life, he's faced with the problems and temptations of his peers and the old neighborhood, compounded by a lack of money and family support. Things take a drastic turn when Darcell is accused of taking part in a home invasion and his name and mugshot are posted on the news and "Crimestoppers" alerts. He maintains his innocence, but must spend $2000 on a lawyer to defend him. After serving some jail time before being let out with a misdemeanor, Darcell joins his identical twin brother Darrell, who has been living with their father in Grand Island, Nebraska, 200 miles away. But leaving Omaha for a rural community creates its own problems as Darcell begins a new life and takes on more responsibilities.
Is It Any Good?
This is an unforgettable documentary that uses a coming-of-age story to illustrate the ingrained ugliness and injustices of institutional racism. Out of Omaha begins with historical context concerning Omaha, Nebraska's history of segregation and red-lining of African Americans into the North Omaha neighborhood. It then adds commentary and insight from mentors who lived in and survived those streets to find later success. What emerges is that there are no easy solutions, and to suggest otherwise is foolish and naive.
What makes this documentary so incredible is how this overall message resonates throughout, but it isn't delivered in a heavy-handed way. We see the problems firsthand through the lives of Darcell and Darrell Trotter as they try to achieve their dreams while navigating unforgiving realities. And in the end, you can't help but admire Darcell's restraint while talking to a newspaper editor whose paper reported on an alleged sexual assault by Trotter but didn't follow up to report that the charges were dropped. Nonetheless, hope and optimism, despite everything that has happened to the main subjects of the documentary, somehow persists. Out of Omaha is documentary filmmaking at its best.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Parents can talk about the deeper arguments made in the documentary. How does Out of Omaha use historical footage and interviews with adult mentors, parents, and instructors to provide context to the central story? What would be lost if the documentary didn't have these?
What would the challenges in filming the same people over a number of years?
How does this compare to other documentaries that communicate a bigger message about society or the world at large?
Movie Details
- In theaters: November 10, 2018
- On DVD or streaming: September 9, 2019
- Cast: Darcell Trotter , Darrell Trotter
- Director: Clay Tweel
- Studio: Imperative Entertainment
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models , High School , History
- Character Strengths: Perseverance
- Run time: 92 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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