Movies/TV
Young, Black and Lesbian
By Esther Iverem—SeeingBlack.com Editor and Film Critic
Jan 11, 2012, 12:51

Adepero Oduye as Alike in "Pariah."

The movie “Pariah” focuses on a Brooklyn teen-ager who is exploring her identity as a lesbian. It is raw, sometimes funny and often awkward. And what is being a teenager if it is not sometimes raw and funny—and frequently awkward?


In the starring role of Alike(pronounced ah-lee-kay), newcomer Adepero Oduye is an adolescent walking mixture of child, grown woman, nerd and reluctant party girl. Actually she is so reluctant that I wondered during the screening if director Dee Rees is offering the possibility that Alike is not really a lesbian at all, that she is not 100 percent sure about her sexuality.


Alike’s growing pains are combined with the complexities of her home life to create a rich socio-political stew. Her church-going mother, played well by Kim Wayans, is disapproving and leery of her daughter’s very butch friend Laura. Her father Arthur is very close to his daughter—Alike is a daddy’s girl—but Arthur must contend with his buddies in the neighborhood who think they know more about his daughter than he does.


As we watch Alike navigate in the world, we share in her obsession with how she is seen--she knows that her clothes, hats and hair style all signal to others who she is and, more importantly, what she wants express about herself. She is struggling to find not only herself but her place in the world.


Spike Lee is one of the executive producers responsible for bringing this fresh voice and vision to the screen. “Pariah” approaches a subject that does not get much attention. The film has earned newcomers Rees and Oduye several awards nominations, as well as good reviews for Kim Wayans. Expect to hear more about this movie as the award season continues.


To view the trailer and clips for Pariah, click here

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