Part I: Bibliographic information
Title: Battlefield America
Writer: Marques Houston, Chris Stokes (screenplay)
Director: Chris Stokes
Producer: Sharif Ahmed and Gus L. Blackmon, Kenneth Dixon, Marques Houston, Jerome Jones, J. Christopher Owen, Chris Stokes, Zeus Zamani
Copyright Date: 2012
Studio: Brian & Barrett Pictures
Type: Drama, Musical
Format: Film, DVD
Genre: Urban street dance
Reading Level/Interest Age: 10 to 21
Actors: Marques Houston, Mekia Cox, Tristen Carter, Lynn Whitefield
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 106 minutes
ASIN: B008EXG6D0
Part I: Reader’s Annotation, Plot Summary, Critical Evaluation
Reader’s Annotation -- Slick and successful young businessman Sean Lewis gets a DUI and is sentenced to community service at a youth center in urban Los Angeles. His half-hearted efforts to make a difference with the teens lead to him eventually caring about giving back to his community even when it conflicts with his professional aspirations he’s worked so hard to foster.
Plot Summary -- A successful businessman gets a DUI and is sentenced to community service by the courts. He’s assigned to an inner-city community center where a group of wayward kids are in need of a dance instructor. His inability to dance and lackluster efforts quickly end up in him being put in his place by the street-savvy kids, who treat him with disrespect and rebel against his efforts to lead. He wants to quit but the court appointed observer catches him absent from his duties, and he’s forced to serve additional time in earnest or face jail. Eventually, he takes the assignment on with a better attitude and begins with an apology to the kids. A real hip-hop dance instructor is brought in to help but the kids show little interest in following him either. The polished business man manages to get them an audition but the come up short. His much improved attitude keeps the kids excited and willing to work toward the goal of eventually being successful on the competition circuit of urban street dance scene.
The dance team starts working together better and following the lead of the dance coach. After they win a second audition, he earns their trust. But many hours involved in the community service program starts to impact his big-time advertising career -- and his formally solid position is threatened. The strained relationship he has with the center’s director develops and becomes romantic but turns sour when he starts to back off in favor of his job. When service ends, he decides to go back to his career and the kids feel betrayed. He returns to the scene when of a key boy’s mother falls ill and he is threatened to foster care. His eventual decision to come back to the team leads to their heading to a city-wide hip hop dance contest that is the biggest moment in their lives. The contest brings the best out in the entire team -- and him personally -- and goes a long-way toward improving the businessman’s career prospects and making the kids’ families proud of their achievements.
Critical Evaluation -- This feature film about street dance did not get great reviews but is popular with viewers on forums like Netflix. The surprising thing about plot is that it’s not overly predictable and not targeted exclusively at kids who dance. And, the production values and acting are not horrible. The screenplay was co-written by hip-hop good guy, actor, Marques Houston, who definitely puts a positive spin on the potential of urban kids given a fair shake. In fact, most would argue it idealizes both these kid’s situations as well as their abilities. However, Houston also breaks some stereotypes in this movie -- he plays an ultra-drive African American advertising executive who though arrogant to begin with does find meaning in giving back to the community even though it’s forced service. His polish and sophistication contrast with the street-savvy kids who are faced with little opportunity outside of their dance talents and some very trying personal challenges ranging from addition to broken family. The film does not delve into a realistic portrayal of life for an inner city urban youth -- it dabbles in the toughness of these kids but really is somewhat of a Disney version of reality. However, the film does make a case for the idea of getting involved and making a difference and how those efforts can make a difference. There is also a lot of fantastic dance in the film and it’s engaging even if you aren’t a fan of urban street dance or hip hop.
Part III: Author Info
Marques Houston is an actor, producer, writer whose films and music are mostly of a softer depiction of the urban hip-hop scene. He is from Los Angeles, California, and was born in 1981. He’s written some songs and acted in a number of films, including House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute (2001), which was also directed by Chris Stokes.
Chris Stokes is a hip-hop producer and film writer/director who has brought several urban dance hits to the movie theatres. He wrote and directed You Got Served (2004), which also starred Marques Houston. Stokes is known for being very hands on and involves himself in songwriting and choreography. He also directed a successful horror film, Somebody Help Me (2004), which now has several installments.
Part IV: Curriculum Ties, Diversity, Booktalk Ideas, Challenge Issues
Curriculum Ties, if any -- This film could be used in any social science course to discuss the benefits of volunteerism and mentoring.
Diversity of Cultures -- The setting is in urban Los Angeles and most of the dancers on the team featured are African American with one Asian kid. The film deals with race and culture with candor -- and we hear street slang and are introduced to some life challenges of these kids that hints at the tough reality that is growing up in contemporary urban setting.
Booktalking Ideas -- The topic of volunteering as part of our life’s plan -- it’s challenges and benefits -- is something that young adults could discuss and consider. This film asks some of the questions that young people are actively considering about priorities such as weighing career and community involvement.
Challenge Issues -- There is slang including racial slurs and violence in the film. It has youth characters but is really not a film for kids under 13 in my estimation. There could be a potential for challenges based these factors but really it’s hip-hop lite that’s portrayed and a defense could be that this film shows some of the positive aspects of urban street culture. The content involving drugs and foul language.
Part V: Reasons chosen
Initially, I felt this film was for a younger audience. Yet the pretext is actually about coming to terms with our desire to give back to where we came from. That’s a decision every young adult faces as they move into a career mode. I enjoyed it myself and felt it has a strong message of promoting the idea of giving back as well as showing African Americans in roles that are positive, productive mode that’s not involving guns, violence or drugs. We see so much hard-core rap and hip hop that idolizes criminal activity and most people have a negative idea of the music and culture. However, there are some very positive aspects of involving young people in music and dance. There’s a big trend now in movies depicting urban street dance as well as dance as an artistic endeavor. I really think that Marques Houston is trying to interest kids in more wholesome view of the hip hop scene and to break some stereotypes about the culture. This film can potentially play with a diverse audience but also with a less-diverse suburban audience to introduce some cultural understanding without the highly sensational aspects involved gun-violence and drugs, which this film does not delve into heavily.
Part VI: Citations
Battlefield America. (2013). IMDb. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1995260/
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