They've Gotta Have Us

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They've Gotta Have Us
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that They've Gotta Have Us is a docuseries that traces the evolution of black filmmaking. Interviews with luminaries such as Spike Lee and Barry Jenkins send strong messages of perseverance, integrity, and courage, as viewers realize how hard they had to work to get where they are. The series also makes the value of representation and inclusion clear by demonstrating how pioneering artists inspired others to tell their own stories. All of the interviewees are successful, and diverse in terms of age, gender, and sexual identity. The series spends time talking about the plight of artists of color, including men, women, and queer artists. Some images are shocking, such as racist cartoons and film excerpts that show stereotypical characters; some language is also racist, like when Sidney Poitier, an adult man of color, is called "boy" by a contemptuous character. Excerpts also contain cursing ("hell," "s--t," "c--k," "bulls--t," "f--king," "motherf--ker"), some violence (such as a scuffle from Black Panther) and sexual content (a man and woman kissing in bed, no nudity, in She's Gotta Have It). A few excerpts also show adult characters drinking wine and cocktails; no one acts drunk. Overall, the series' tone is positive and validating; viewers will be fascinated by what they learn while watching.
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What's the Story?
After decades in which black filmmakers were relegated to the sidelines, and black actors were forced to play racist caricatures and side characters (if they appeared on screen at all), films made by and featuring people of color are experiencing a new mainstream cultural acceptance. THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE US takes the viewer both back and forward in time with intimate interviews from dozens of subjects from the film world, investigating the early contributions of entertainers like Hattie McDaniel and Stepin Fetchit, the efforts of filmmakers like Spike Lee and Robert Townsend in the '80s and '90s, and modern directors experiencing breakthroughs like Jordan Peele and Barry Jenkins.
Is It Any Good?
Powerful, sensitive, and fascinating, this docuseries focuses on a serious, important topic, but its talking-head interviews are so lively and fresh that it's a joy to watch instead of ponderous. Film lovers may come to They've Gotta Have Us thinking they know what they're about to see -- it's no news to anyone that gifted early black entertainers had to play mammies and butlers, and viewers will be duly horrified to learn that Hattie McDaniel, the first woman of color to win an Oscar, had to sit in a segregated seat in the audience before and after she won, and intrigued to see examples of Harry Belafonte subtly expressing sexuality onscreen at a time when black romantic leads weren't allowed to get physical.
But things really get interesting once the series moves beyond the early years of Belafonte, and Sidney Poitier, and Dorothy Dandridge. Robert Townsend, whose 1987 film Hollywood Shuffle was a landmark of independent black filmmaking, recalls how frustrated he was after not getting cast in The Color Purple, knowing it might be awhile before another meaty part would be available to him, considering how few films had black casts. He'd saved $60,000 and he had a burning ambition to make his own movie: "We can't let Hollywood tell our stories," he says passionately, "We gotta tell our own stories. They'll make us do anything and everything, and these images go all around the world." And soon, the vital importance of representation becomes clear, as directors, actors, and cinematographers ruminate on Spike Lee's triumphant string of successes in the 1980s and 1990s. As director John Singleton recalls, "The day I saw Do the Right Thing, I got a notebook and started writing Boys n the Hood." Will the next generation of great black actors and filmmakers go get themselves a notebook after watching They've Gotta Have Us? It wouldn't be a surprise at all.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about positive and negative representations of African-American culture that they've seen in the movies. What movies stand out as validating black lives and experiences? Which give negative, false, racist, offensive representations? Are there any movies you enjoy that have less-than-positive representations? Does it affect your enjoyment of these films?
Watch a few of the movies that are spotlighted in They've Gotta Have Us, such as Hollywood Shuffle, Do the Right Thing, or Carmen Jones. How were these movies breakthroughs? What do they show that other, lesser movies don't? Do they still have power, or are they dated? Are there any ways these movies still seem modern and fresh?
How do the subjects in They've Gotta Have Us display courage, integrity, and perseverance? Why do you think these are important character strengths?
TV Details
- Premiere date: February 5, 2020
- Cast: David Oyelowo, Samuel L. Jackson, Harry Belafonte
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-14
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: February 27, 2022
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