| Nominated for six Academy Awards, and winner | | | | The cast of Crash is superb. Don Cheadle |
| of Best Picture, Crash is more than deserving of | | | | completes his graduation from the front desk of |
| the critical acclaim surrounding its release. Probing | | | | The Golden Girls spin-off Golden Palace by turning |
| the deepest recesses of racism, prejudice, and | | | | in a second blockbuster performance within a |
| discrimination in modern day America, the film | | | | matter of months (Hotel Rwanda would be the |
| forces viewers to examine their own tendencies | | | | other). Like other characters from the film, |
| to create and foster stereotypes. More | | | | Cheadle's Graham is unable to fully develop due to |
| importantly, it does so in a way that doesn't | | | | time constraints, yet he manages to come across |
| accuse, blame, or pursue a political agenda. In fact, | | | | as a sympathetic and flawed character. The same |
| Crash even touches on the shortcomings of | | | | can be said of Matt Dillon's portrayal of Officer |
| political correctness and how some people have | | | | John Ryan. He isn't a mere hatemonger skinhead, |
| allowed outside perceptions to affect personal | | | | but rather a caring individual who developed |
| judgment, often to their own detriment. Written | | | | detrimental prejudice based on past events from |
| and directed by Paul Haggis, author of the Million | | | | his childhood. In the end, like many of the film's |
| Dollar Baby screenplay, Crash is a thoughtful piece | | | | characters, the audience gets a glimpse of his |
| of social commentary wrapped in a storyline ripe | | | | good side. |
| with conflict and suspense. | | | | Overall, Crash is an excellent film that lives up to |
| Crash follows numerous characters living in and | | | | the notoriety and hype. For the typical viewer, it |
| around Los Angeles as they deal with racial | | | | will evoke myriad emotions - hatred of racism, |
| perceptions, prejudices, and stereotypes in their | | | | loathing of man's inhumanity to man, empathy, |
| daily lives. Jean Cabot (Sandra Bullock) struggles | | | | self-reflection, and an awareness of how one's |
| with her inability to trust her own instincts | | | | own prejudices may affect others. Paul Haggis |
| following a car-jacking which leaves her teetering | | | | brilliantly illustrates the consequences of |
| on the brink of a mental breakdown. Meanwhile, | | | | widespread attitudes harboring racist, prejudicial, |
| police officer John Ryan (Matt Dillon) harasses | | | | discriminatory, and stereotypical overtones. He |
| African-Americans as a result of the prejudices he | | | | does so without pointing fingers or assigning |
| developed following his father's bankruptcy years | | | | blame. Everyone is guilty; no race, gender, class, |
| ago. Lucien (Dato Bakhtadze) and his wife | | | | or ideology is spared. Crash also probes the |
| Elizabeth (Karina Arroyave) find their own biases | | | | depths of American prejudice by addressing the |
| and self-perceptions erupting to the surface of | | | | unintended consequences of both affirmative |
| their marriage following a traumatic encounter | | | | action and political-correctness. It's this reluctance |
| with Officer Ryan. The consequences of Ryan's | | | | to strictly adhere to an ideological agenda that |
| hatred have a rippling effect, a theme which is | | | | empowers Crash with its universal appeal. By not |
| repeated in countless other social exchanges | | | | being preachy, the film is better able to relate its |
| between store owners, locksmiths, detectives, | | | | themes to viewers from every type of |
| and hockey enthusiasts. In short, Crash sets out | | | | background and perspective. It's an entertaining |
| to jar its audience into recognition of the | | | | film. Hopefully, it also makes each us think twice |
| enormous consequences of racial prejudice, no | | | | about the way in which we relate to our fellow |
| matter how "minor" we may believe those | | | | man. If so, then Crash is more than just a film; |
| attitudes may be. | | | | it's a world-changing experience. |