2011 Black History Month: #21 Black Actor Performance
Don Cheadle as "Det. Graham Waters" in "Crash"
When I was a sophomore in high-school, I was in a Creative Writing class. We wrote several papers throughout the year but had to write a longer/chapter story for our final. I thought it would be cool if I took every story that I wrote throughout the school-year for that class and find a way to connect them for my final paper. I pulled it off, my teacher ate it up, and I landed an A. I was proud of that story because I was (and still am) in love with a story that involves a large cast of characters all brought together.
It's why LOST is one of my favorite TV shows, and Love, Actually is one of my favorite movies. Crash fits this description nicely.
"I think we miss that touch so much that we crash into each other just so we can feel something." - Det. Graham Waters
Crash, which surprisingly won the 2004 Oscar for Best Picture is a story about race, family, crime, etc. It introduces us to a wide variety of characters and beautifully intertwines them throughout the film. It is one of those movies that everyone needs to see because it presents a ton of issues to discuss, but also because it is a beautiful piece of artwork.
Don Cheadle gets the nod here because just as Forrest Whitaker is one of the best actors in the business, so is Cheadle. He was nominated in the 2004 Academy Awards for his performance in Hotel Rwanda (never seen), and has been in several block-buster movies (Boogie Nights, Iron Man series, and The Ocean's Eleven Trilogy just to name a few). I also enjoyed his performance in Reign Over Me, even if the ending leaves a little bit to be desired.
In Crash, Cheadle plays a detective who is battling family issues. He has a sick mother and a criminal for a brother. His mom desperately wants his son to come back, and berates Cheadle for not finding him. Cheadle is terrific in this role, as is the entire cast, which includes Terrence Howard (who just missed making this list).
So in the end, this is a nod for Cheadle's career more than this particular film, but when you consider how good this movie is, it's hard to argue with its' placement.
Unfortunately, there are not any clips chronicling Cheadle's Crash performance, so I will leave you with an interview and the movie trailer. Sorry boys and girls.
Memorable Quotes
"It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something." - Det. Graham Waters
"Well, f**k you very much. But thanks for thinking of me." - Det. Graham Waters
"Well then I guess the big mystery is, who gathered all those remarkably different cultures together and taught them all how to park their cars on their lawns?" - Det. Graham Waters
"And the right message is look at this Black Boy I bought?" - Det. Graham Waters
Hint for #20: His voice is unmistakable, and you never see his face throughout the entire movie.
Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."
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