Image

6:51 PM / Friday February 14, 2025

19 Oct 2018

‘The Hate U Give’– Amandla Stenberg stars in adaptation of searing, inner city saga

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
October 19, 2018 Category: Entertainment Posted by:

ABOVE PHOTO:  Russell Hornsby, Regina Hall, Amandla Stenberg, and Common The Hate U Give. (Photo Credit: Erika Doss.)

 

Review by Kam Williams

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg) straddles two different worlds which never intersect — one, Black and poor, the other, White and privileged. That’s because she lives in the ghetto in Garden Heights, but her parents (Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby) have sent her to Williamson, an exclusive prep school located on the other side of the tracks.

They know that Williamson gives her a better chance of making it out of the “hood” than the local public high school which is only good for girls who want to get “high, pregnant or killed.” Consequently, Starr uses slang when hanging out with her friends on the block, although she always talks properly around her classmates.

Having different personas isn’t a problem until the night she accepts a ride home from a party from Khalil (Algee Smith), a close childhood friend she’d lost touch with. While obeying all the rules of the road, they’re inexplicably pulled over by the police, ostensibly for “driving while Black.”

Amandla Stenberg stars in The Hate U Give. (Photo Credit: Erika Doss.)

Starr quietly complies with the condescending cop’s (Drew Starkey) every order, since she and her siblings had been carefully trained by her father how to survive such an encounter. However, Khalil opts to challenge the officer and is shot dead in seconds when his hairbrush is mistaken for a gun.

Within days, Starr finds herself suddenly being swept up into the eye of a media storm as the only eyewitness to the killing of an unarmed black kid by a white lawman. The community calls for justice, but the only hope of Officer MacIntosh’s even being arrested is if Starr testifies before the grand jury.

That is the compelling point of departure of “The Hate U Give”, a searing, inner-city saga directed by George Tillman, Jr. (“Notorious”). The movie is based on Angie Thomas’ award-winning novel of the same name which spent 50 weeks on the New York Times’ Young Adult bestseller list.

The heartbreaking bildungsroman features a top-flight cast, starting with Amandla Stenberg who is riveting from beginning to end as the terribly conflicted Starr Carter. Also delivering powerful performances are Russell Hornsby, Regina Hall, Anthony Mackie and Common in service of a timely story certain to resonate with African-American audiences.

A grim reminder of just how tough it is to be young, marginalized and Black in a merciless environment oblivious of your plight.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG-13 for violence, profanity, drug use and mature themes

Running time: 132 minutes

Production Studio: Temple Hill Entertainment / Fox 2000 Pictures / State Street Pictures

Studio: 29th Century Fox

To see a trailer for The Hate U Give, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MM8OkVT0hw

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Leave a Comment

Recent News

Color Of Money

Pennsylvania governor seeks more money for schools and transit, but relies heavily on surplus cash

February 10, 2025

Share Tweet Email Governor Josh Shapiro presents his 2025-26 budget proposal to the Pa. General Assembly, as...

Seniors

How Type 2 inflammation contributes to asthma, COPD, and allergic conditions

February 3, 2025

Share Tweet Email BPT Do you live with persistent, moderate-to-severe asthma, COPD, allergies, eczema or hives? Inflammation...

SUNrise

cj speaks…Celebrating in forgiveness for Black History Month

February 10, 2025

Share Tweet Email By cj “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and...

Week In Review

Black History Month explained: Its origins, celebrations and myths

February 10, 2025

Share Tweet Email This undated photo provided by the Association for the Study of African American Life...

Commentary

Commentary: The Retirement Party

January 19, 2025

Share Tweet Email President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt at Madison College, April 8, 2024,...

Health

What you need to know about glaucoma

February 10, 2025

Share Tweet Email FAMILY FEATURES More than 4.2 million Americans live with glaucoma, a leading cause of...

The Philadelphia Sunday Sun Staff