Better Luck Tomorrow: Notable Asian? (3 of 3)

What the movie really feels like is an expression of a youth fantasy. If Asian American suburban youth are usually seen as being wimpy, innocuous, and unoffensive, these kids prove that stereotype wrong. They are more like urban, street smart, gangster types that have built a “rep”and instill fear in the other kids at school. If a white jock insults them, they get revenge and beat him to a pulp. And the best part is they never get caught.

BLT is a well-made movie with many strengths. But the characters are so unbelievable, you don’t really take them very seriously, and the lack of a purpose beyond breaking stereotypes of Asians is a drawback. It is a breakthrough that this film was picked up by a major distributor and is being shown in mainstream theaters, but there is still a need for Asian American films that will tackle social issues in a deeper way and address more than just the dilemmas of affluent Asian Americans.