And this is where the white savior narrative comes into play. ![]() Lisa just believes she is the only one who will artistically nourish this extraordinary brown boy. But Jimmy isn’t exactly alone in the world. The only one who does seem to care is his uncle - who is preoccupied with a job that overworks and underpays him. His father doesn’t care, Jimmy’s mother is out of the picture, and he has a vapid babysitter. Lisa claims no one in Jimmy’s life is interested in his poems. The Kindergarten Teacher also, perhaps unintentionally, takes the white savior trope and shows you how it often comes off to most audiences of color: not that heartwarming. Her thirst for Jimmy’s art, her desire to both nurture it and claim it for herself, causes her to spiral into predator territory. In the middle of an intimate encounter with her husband, she hastily pushes him aside to answer a call from Jimmy so she can write down one of his poems. At various points in the film, Lisa takes Jimmy into the school bathroom during nap time to coax him into reciting more of his poems. There are moments in The Kindergarten Teacher when Lisa’s behavior will likely provoke a strong reaction from viewers. While these types of stories - called the “white savior narrative” - end up being inspiration porn for the mostly white audiences they are created for, The Kindergarten Teacher takes that narrative at its most literal. ![]() This is also Lisa’s seemingly noble cause that she takes to the extreme. ![]() Movies like Freedom Writers or Dangerous Minds show white teachers who are the only ones with the capacity to see what’s special about their students of color and make it their mission to rescue them. While Lisa’s obsession with Jimmy is appropriately portrayed as deeply creepy, the story’s framing is one we’ve seen before. Lisa begins to find meaning in her life through little Jimmy, played by Parker Sevak, who is of South Asian descent. Jimmy is a kindergartener with a remarkable ability to recite beautiful original poetry that, as is clear from her night class, Lisa is incapable of.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |