Stonewall Movie

I've been reading a lot about the new Stonewall movie and most of the narrative has not been good. The Gawker review from Rich Juzwiak and the Vanity Fair review by Richard Lawson were both particularly harsh. Critics are complaining that the movie portrays an unrealistic view of the Stonewall riots. The main criticism is that the star of the movie is a fictional character who's a handsome, young, blond, white guy who can "pass" as straight while the "others" (minorities, transgender, women, non-blonds) are relegated to the background to bask in the white guy's glow.

I haven't seen Stonewall (and probably won't), but I don't see how the theme of the white guy on top (pun intended) is any different from a whole host of movies out there. White guys have been saving folks in movies since movies started. How is this different from any superhero movie or Jason Bourne franchise or pretty much any blockbuster out there? It doesn't even have to be an action movie. Indie movies like Half Nelson and Children of Men have the same white savior complex theme.

I try to be a realist when it comes to things like this. I understand how the world works. Look at my books. With the exception of Clean Hands, they've all got white guys on the cover and that's where the market is for m/m fiction. The problem, I think, so many critics are having with Stonewall is that it's a movie based on actual historical events. Had it just been an entirely fictional story, the writer and director probably wouldn't be getting so much heat. I've watched a lot of gay-themed movies and the majority of them do feature good looking white guys, so the Stonewall casting shouldn't come as a huge shock to anyone. I suspect the director is hoping to attract gay men and, I guess, straight women to the movie and figured an attractive blond will help put asses in the seats.