Major Payne/Undercover Brother
Cultural Significance:
Again today’s features are films that are not Oscar winners, but they are absolutely amazing.
Major Payne was a film loosely based on the film The Private War of Major Benson starring Charlton Heston. (Which was news to me while I was researching this.) Now this movie was panned by critics, but the thing that made this movie pop out as culturally significant to me is that Major Benson’s character would have fit any actor profile. When you watch this film I feel that it was cast colorlessly. Damon Wayans was obviously the best choice, but only for his comedic qualities. The script relied on funny jokes that had nothing to do with race. Looking back on it now it is a breath of fresh air to know that it was that way, especially in 1995.
Undercover Brother is one of the best spoof films I have ever seen. It makes fun of blaxploitation films from the 70s and spy films (such as James Bond). It also walks a fine line of completely making the viewer guffaw at the ridiculousness of racial inequalities. This movie is brilliant. It makes dumb jokes and pokes a lot of fun, but underneath it all there is a lot of heart and realism. This movie was actually praised by critics for these very things that I have discussed above.
Personal Significance:
These two movies help define two parts of my life. Major Payne was a movie that we used to watch as a family, a lot. It was my first experience with Damon Wayans and my first time seeing Karyn Parsons outside of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It is also one of the most ridiculous/funny films I can remember. It is a movie that my dad can quote front to back along with my brother and I. I will say that is not a cinematic masterpiece, but any comedy fan I have ever met has told me that this movie is hilarious and is up there on their list of favorites.
One of my favorite scenes in the whole movie is when he decides to tell the young ones a bedtime story. It is classic Damon Wayans and an absolutely hilarious way to tell ‘The Little Engine That Could.’
My father is also a retired Marine so this movie was a way for him to connect with his kids through watching something related to the Corps that wasn’t too violent.
Undercover Brother on the other hand helps me define my college experience. It is a movie that we would all sit around watching together when we were supposed to be studying. (Shh…that’s our secret.) Now, my friends Ferg and Sherm would quote this constantly which would lead to the three of us in hysterics from laughing so hard. Our friend Staci would sit and roll her eyes because she believed the movie to be ridiculous which would lead us to quote it even more. It was such a fun way for us to then lead into more serious discussions about race relations and our thoughts on ‘The Man.’ It will not only make me laugh from the content, but also from the images of friends quoting it in my head.
These two movies will always go down in my personal history book as greatness. If not for amazing social commentary then non-stop laughs. Do yourself a favor and check them both out. You won’t be disappointed.
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