i'm not angry at all. i was just merely replying back to your post of being severely disappointed in the casting. and your suspicions are wrong. i am not one of those "loyal hmong people" who support my people just because they are hmong and just because it is a movie about hmong people. i am just as skeptical as you are about the movie (but in a different sense), but being that i know what is going on with the shooting i am that much more appreciative about the hard work the hmong actors are putting in. and for your information, they did have a hmong consultant on the shoot but i heard that she did a lot of things wrong and wouldn't listen to a lot of the cast members who knew more about the shaman rituals and other hmong traditions than her...so if the movie comes out with stereotypes, you can blame the consultant. when i heard about what she did, i was severely disappointed because these people went to odd lengths to get a consultant and yet she still managed to screw up her own hmong people's image. you can say that a lot of people are embarrassed for her as a hmong person.
as for sue's character...her character description fits a lot of traditional hmong americans. maybe your experience may be different, but i find it perfectly normal. and then you also have to take into consideration that this screen play was written from a caucasian american point of view so i wouldn't go into the theatre expecting it to be genuinely a hmong movie at heart. not to mention that this is hollywood...there are bound to be stereotypes, not that that is an excuse either but that's the real world. that goes the same for the wardrobe choice...even if the hmong cast wanted to voice their opinion, it is not as simple as it seems and it goes the same for everything else. this is the dirty world of the film industry...because you have so many other people who make the decisions.
also, i honestly don't think you care for this movie to be a genuine portrayal of hmong people seeing that you are so hung up on the image of a hmong johnny depp. get over it. i don't think anyone else cares and if they do, it is because they are a.) just jealous their son or they did not get the part, b.) they are shallow and hung up on the character description of a hmong johnny depp because they want the first hmong people on hollywood screens to look extremely handsome with no talent, c.) everything else not mentioned for and all of the above. ---like i said, get over it! stop being so shallow. there are more important things to worry about than your hmong johnny depp.
do i think that eastwood and his people are genuinely trying to portray hmong people? well, i can't answer that. we'll just have to wait and see the film, not to mention ask the people who were apart of the experience that. i don't mind shelling out the $12 (in nyc) to go see the film. i know how hard they've worked and i support them even if the film bombs. only those who don't open their mind to understand the situation would openly criticize without thinking.
i don't care for hmong people to go watch it just because it has hmong actors or is a movie about hmong people. but if you want to criticize about it, please talk to the cast about their experiences first and watch the movie, then you can at least say something. but i just can't understand or acknowledge opinions from people who have yet to understand the situation.
also, before you make assumptions about people and try to read emotions of people over the net or through my writing, you might want to think again. but just in case you make assumptions again. i am very happy and do not get easily moved by other people
kk, thx la~