A Great Divide

I had mixed feelings about this movie after seeing it as part of a festival run. Perhaps I went in with too high expectations because I fit the target audience. I'll start with the positives. I thought Ken Jeong was awesome as was Jamie McShane from Wednesday and Miya Cech an up and comer from Netflix and Disney. Smart casting of some better known actors. The woman playing the grandma and the teen boy that is a local bully were both good too. A big problem for me was the portrayal of exaggerated racism that didn't feel realistic even as a person of Korean descent. The movie moved slowly at times and the story line was disjointed. Overall I liked about as much as I disliked so I'll give it 5 stars.

As an Asian American dad, I'm happy to see a movie like this on screen. I loved Ken Jeong in a drama role and the storyline brought me to tears several times. I could relate to the relationships and heartbreak the characters felt. Beautifully shot and hopefully brings some insight to those who have not dealt with racism and prejudice before. The movie is an education in what many Asian Americans have felt for generations and continue to feel, especially during the pandemic. It's a story that needed to be told and makes me feel seen as an Asian American man. I hope to see more movies like this one.

The best part comes right at the very end. I had to stop and re-attempt to watch this movie multiple times as it was initially frustrating. I appreciate someone trying to tell the story of what Asians went through during the Covid pandemic when we could not leave our houses as strangers would cough on us and we were the lucky ones with many getting killed on the news. While this movie's intent was to showcase the experience that grew during Covid, it failed to do that because the movie takes place in Wyoming, contrary to where the concentration of hate was happening - right in the blue states of NY, California and Illinois. Our democratic political leaders failed to protect us from Biden to Newsom. The scenes with the grandmother, I thought were totally unnecessary until the very last scene which explained the title - The Great Divide. That was clever as I did not see that coming. All those scenes with the grandma and the stories of the Korean war in the 50s seem to be quite a sacrifice just to have an inventive ending. The main character is the son named Benjamin who hopes to get into a good school. The movie rightfully points out that Asian-Americans are subjected to a higher standard than White Americans for acceptance into top universities. I could not understand why the son would object to his mom fighting back when he was entrapped and being blackmailed. One of the biggest flaw in the movie is why Benjamin and Ellie did not use their smartphones to call for help instead of wasting time and daylight to chase someone down for assistance. Ken Jeong is miscast in this role as he is way too old compared to his wife and the two friends he went to school with. The effort is appreciated but anti-Asian h--t was happening right in our neighborhoods, not far away Wyoming where snakes, moose and bison roam.

I attended the Asian American International Film Festival watching a screening of A Great Divide. Jeff Yang, one of the writers and producers, was on hand with actress MeeWha Lee for a film Q&A afterwards. It looks like the movie will be available on Hulu (and possibly other streaming services) shortly. It needs to be seen far and wide. So many Asian Americans, like myself for one, can relate to the heartfelt stories of the father/ mother during their lives to get this point only to have to deal with xenophobia like never before while trying to adjust to life in Wyoming. I absolutely loved it! The actors, including Ken Jeong and Jae Suh Park, are wonderful in their roles. The cinematography is gorgeous. The story was powerful, sobering and at the same time carries a message that younger generations carry the potential for positive change. I fervently feel this well-written and relevant movie deserves Oscar noms!

I had high hopes but this is a total political letdown. The acting is decent but the premise is disappointing. It portrays Wyoming and its people in a very unfair light. It seems to be completely fiction, which was perhaps the goal. I was very disappointed in all aspects of this movie. The writing and storyline stink, as does the directing. One of the only redeeming qualities is the setting, which is stunning. The producers and directors should be ashamed of themselves and have clearly never spent any time in Wyoming. The people are very kind and accepting. This movie pairs a very unfair and immaculate portrayal of the state.