Doing the Right thing with Gumption, Glory and perhaps some Dirty Dancing

Reelworld Screen Institute staff members Safia Abdigir, Hannah Yohannes, Alison Cosgrove and Pahull Bains take over Hollywood Suite’s four channels Sept 29 and 30 showcasing some of their favourite films from the 70s through to today. 

According to the Cambridge dictionary, gumption is defined as the ability to decide what is the best thing to do in a particular situation, and to do it with energy and determination. I think the common threads between the three movie selections: Glory, Do The Right Thing and Dirty Dancing is not only that they are various forms of drama but they also consist of layered, relatable and complex characters that showcase gumption.

In Dirty Dancing, Frances “Baby” Houseman lives a sheltered, comfortable life with her family and looks forward to working in the Peace Corps to emulate her esteemed Dad. However, when Baby and her family visit a resort in upstate New York’s Catskill Mountains, she comes across a smooth and savvy dancer named Johnny, and finds herself intrigued. His passion for dancing, good looks, and consistent defiance to society’s expectations draws Baby in and her perspective gradually shifts from planning her life to purposely living it. She also notices the treatment that Johnny received from her father during his dance partner’s health crisis and recognizes the inconsistencies with his advice about treating everyone equally (classism). Her motivation for standing up for Johnny comes from a place of vulnerability, honesty, empowerment and most importantly, empathy. And the fact that she was able to communicate to her Dad from a place of self awareness and accountability for not only her actions but also lovingly holding her Dad to this shows me that Frances is a character of grace and gumption. Dirty Dancing is a romantic classic filled with unforgettable moments of music, movement and my favourite line from Patrick Swayze: “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.”

Next up, we have our movie, Glory, which tells the story of the 54th Regiment largely through the eyes of Shaw (Matthew Broderick), who is recruited to lead a newly formed Black regiment despite his abolitionist perspective and doubts. In retrospect of watching the film, I’m sure this story could have been told through a different lens to include the black perspective and experience. I admire Trip (Denzel Washington) and John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman) leadership for providing Shaw with some insights into race and human nature, a century before the flowering of the civil rights movement, although it is not their responsibility to do so.

Last but not least, we have the legendary film, Do The Right Thing by Spike Lee. Fun fact: This is Martin Lawrence’s and Rosie Perez’s feature film debut and it was a delight to watch such a powerful film that resonates till this day. I also love how Lee uses the temperature (visually) and warm colours to showcase the slightly increasing tension of American racism and inner city life that is boiling in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighbourhood. Do The Right Thing starts off with a flair of music, Rosie Perez’s dance sequence and creative credits that are distinctive to the 80s and 90s era. Ruth Carter, who is the costume designer on several award winning projects (such as School Daze, Black Panther and more) adds a special touch to the cast’s wardrobe. More importantly, I like how Spike Lee doesn’t give you the answers of whether Mookie does the right thing or not in the film but rather provokes dialogue and discussion on race relations and what exactly is the right thing to do.

Hannah’s Picks – September 29

Do the Right Thing – 9pm ET on HS80

Dirty Dancing – 11:05pm ET on HS80

Glory – 12:50am ET on HS80

Hannah Yohannes, Reelworld Program Manager

Hannah Yohannes is a film director and screenwriter who is well known for her critically acclaimed short film, Home Away, which has been featured on Issa Rae’s Short Film Sunday Series and won the Shaw Media Fearless Female Directors Award. Her work has been showcased in numerous film festivals worldwide such as the San Diego Black Film Festival, Sarasota Film Festival and Reelworld Film Festival. Hannah has studied script writing at Michigan State University and has been nominated as one of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women by the Hon. Jean Augustine for her experience in developing film work, advocacy and arts programming