David McKenna’s “American History X” is the kind of film that lingers with the viewer.
It’s also a story that likely wouldn’t be told today. The Left and Hollywood, but we repeat ourselves, loathe movies where racists see the error of their ways.
Just ask the folks who slammed “Green Book,” “Best of Enemies” and other tales of racial reconciliation.
If we saw the film today, Edward Norton’s blistering turn as a conflicted White Supremacist might be weaponized against President Donald Trump or conservatives in general.
Screenwriter David McKenna bemoaned the current, divisive state of Hollywood during a chat with the “Film Threat” podcast.
That cultural divide is hurting the country and La La Land, he argued.
“It takes a village to get this business back on track,” McKenna told “Film Threat” hosts Chris Gore and Alan Ng. “Right now, Hollywood seems to love alienating half the country … they gotta stop with that.”
Two examples?
“Half of the country hates f***ing Bruce Springsteen, my f***ing idol,” McKenna said, his voice rising. “Half of the country hates [Robert] De Niro, my f***ing idol. Something’s wrong. Let’s fix it.”
Both stars spend countless hours excoriating President Trump, either from concert stages or awards show podiums.
The scribe had some hard, but simple advice for today’s stars. Less is more.
“We gotta keep our mouths shut until we win back these people,” he said of wary movie goers. “I understand that Jimmy Kimmel and those guys really hate Trump, but if they can just kind of control themselves because there are so many good people that are out of work right now and our business is really suffering.”
He’s not trying to silence artists or tell them they can’t support their preferred candidates. Just “keep it small,” he added. It’s worth noting that Legacy Media outlets suggested following the 2024 presidential campaign that Hollywood support not only didn’t help Vice President Kamala Harris, but it might have been a net negative.
McKenna also shared his frustration with Blockbuster Culture where mid-sized films are either ignored or banished to streaming services, like the recent Keanu Reeves satire “Outcome.” In their place? Four-quadrant mega-movies which either hit it big, like “Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” or flop in spectacular fashion (“Snow White,” “The Marvels,” “One Battle After Another”).
“Let’s hit some singles and doubles. Let’s not go for a freakin’ grand slam every time,” said McKenna, whose other screenwriting credits include “Body Shots,” “Get Carter,” “S.W.A.T.” and “Blow.”
