Addendum to "Crash" Post (Tavis Smiley)

Read the whole interview here http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200505/20050506_transcript.html#1

Here's a preview, as it were:

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Transcript: Matt Dillon, Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Connie Rice
Tavis Smiley: Good evening from Los Angeles. I'm Tavis Smiley. Tonight, part two of our discussion of the thought- provoking new movie “Crash.” The film, which features an all-star cast, is from writer-director Paul Haggis and producer and star Don Cheadle. If you were with us last night, you know the movie focuses on the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic mosaic that is 21st century Los Angeles and, though the film is set here in L.A., many of the issues the film raises are universal. Tonight, we'll be joined by three of the film's talented stars, Matt Dillon, Terrence Howard, and Ludacris, along with L.A.-based civil rights attorney Connie Rice. We're glad you've joined us. Night two of our discussion of the movie “Crash” is coming up right now.


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Captioning made possible by KCET Public Television and the U.S. Department of Education.


Tavis: This is the second of two terrific panel discussions about the new movie “Crash.” For those who saw the program last night, you know “Crash” is the brainchild of writer-director Paul Haggis whose own real-life experience with a carjacking here in L.A. spawned the script of the film. Tonight, we're joined by three of the film's fine cast.


First up, Matt Dillon in the house. His terrific career includes movies like “The Outsiders,” “Drugstore Cowboy,” and “There's Something about Mary.” Still laughing at that one.


Terrence Howard's film credits include “Ray.” Terrence, you were great in “Ray.” We loved you in “Ray.”


Terrence Howard: Thank you, man.


Tavis: “Lackawanna Blues” and the much talked-about new movie “Hustle & Flow.” I haven't seen it yet. Everybody's talkin' about it.


Next up, Ludacris. That's right, y'all, Ludacris can act. The talented hip-hop artist just won a Grammy for his work with Usher on the hit song “Yeah.” He also appears in the upcoming film “Hustle & Flow.” Everybody's in that but me, obviously.


And finally, my friend and longtime contributor to my radio program, Connie Rice, founder and co-director of The Advancement Project, and formerly an attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.


Before we start our conversation here on night two about “Crash,” first up, some scenes from the movie.


Ria: Why do you keep everybody at a certain distance, huh? What, do you start to feel something and panic?


Christine: What I need is a husband who will not just stand there!


Cameron: What did you want me to do, get us both shot?


Man: Get out of the car! Gimme the keys!


Jean: I just had a gun pointed in my face, and this was my fault because I knew it was gonna happen.


Officer: Hands in plain sight. Step out of the vehicle.


Girl: Daddy!


Man: Honey, stay inside.


Cameron: Man, don't walk up on me.


Officer Hanson: I know this man.


Man: Get back. [gunshots]


Tavis: This movie is so intense even after discussing it last night, Connie Rice, I don't really know where to begin. But I assume you saw last night's conversations. So let me just ask you a crazy question. What did we miss last night?


Connie Rice: Let's make sure we don't want to end the evening on trying to get our Prozac prescriptions redone, Tavis.


Tavis: What did I miss last night? What did I forget? What did I overlook?


Rice: Well, you know, Tavis, it wasn't that anything was overlooked. I think that what we didn't talk about last night, and we want to make it a little bit lighter tonight and a little more fun. But um...


Tavis: This is an intense movie, though. There ain't nothin' fun about this movie. It's intense.


Rice: When you leave it, you know how it feels? It feels the way you feel after you've gone to the prisons. It's that crackling, intense racial conflict, all those human fault lines and the collisions, and so you come out, you know, sort of catching your breath, and it's fabulous. It's just a fabulous piece of work, gentlemen.


But if you want to talk about some of the themes, what I loved about it was a little bit of the complexity. You focused on the stereotypes last night. But the flipside was that each and every character—and there are stereotypes, but there was a flipside that was subtle. There was a flipside that showed the human complexity, and that's what I loved. I mean, this movie is about the human fault lines. We got a lot of San Andreas faults, earthquakes. But this was about the human fault lines, and the thing that was hopeful about it was that in the end, you saw a way to be able to see through the other lenses. Every person brought a lens. It was like flipping the lens of a camera over and over and over again for each human being, and when they clashed, when they crash, you see the conflict. But then you also saw a little bit of the comin' together...

read the whole interview on the link above...