Film addresses hidden tragedy
Campus Times
May 10, 2002
"George Washington" was the last film for the series on diversity
for this school year, shown last week at La Fetra Auditorium.
The film, written and produced by David Gordon Green, is set in North
Carolina and follows a group of working-class teens in a depressed small
town as they try to cover up a tragedy.
The movie sets the appropriate tone, atmosphere and mood for a slow,
southern paced film. The poetic style and use of narration draws people
to the film.
Age and race does not play an issue in this movie because it did not
matter to them.
The main characters, George, Nadia, Buddy, Vernon and Sonya all had
the same problem, despite the color of their skin.
Kenneth "Buddy" West (Curtis Cotton) falls in love with Nadia
(Candace Evanofski) because he thinks she is gorgeous.
They date until she decides Buddy is too immature for her and dumps
him for George.
When the youngsters are in a public restroom wrestling with each other,
George pushes Buddy to the ground and cracks his head open.
They think he is going to be okay until they hear him screaming in agony
and see blood gushing out of his head.
Buddy dies right in front of their eyes.
The kids put a mask over him and take him to a hidden spot outside where
they hope no one will find him.
Eventually everyone realizes he is missing and they put up signs everywhere.
The police question all the kids and they lie and say they have no idea
where he could be.
As the friendships start to fade between the friends, lessons are learned
about what it takes to hide a tragedy.