| The Hate U Give | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George Tillman Jr. |
| Screenplay by | Audrey Wells |
| Based on | The Hate U Give byAngie Thomas |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Mihai Mălaimare Jr. |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Dustin O'Halloran |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox[1] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 133 minutes[3] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $23 million[4] |
| Box office | $34.9 million[4] |
The Hate U Give is a 2018 Americancoming-of-ageteendrama film produced and directed byGeorge Tillman Jr. from a screenplay byAudrey Wells (who died the day before the film's release), based on the2017 young adult novel of the same name byAngie Thomas. The film was produced by Marty Bowen,Wyck Godfrey,Robert Teitel and Tillman Jr., and starsAmandla Stenberg,Regina Hall,Russell Hornsby,Lamar Johnson,KJ Apa,Sabrina Carpenter,Common, andAnthony Mackie, and follows the fallout after a high school student witnesses a police shooting.
The project was announced on March 23, 2016, and casting took place during August and September 2017. Principal photography began on September 12, 2017, inAtlanta, Georgia. On February 5, 2018, it was announced thatKian Lawley's role was recast after a video of his use of racially offensive slurs resurfaced. A month later, it was announced that Lawley had been replaced by Apa.
The Hate U Give premiered at the2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2018,[5] and was released in the United States on October 5, 2018, by20th Century Fox.[6] The film grossed $34.9 million worldwide against its $23 million budget and received acclaim from critics, with many praising the performances (particularly Stenberg and Hornsby), Wells' screenplay, and Tillman Jr.'s direction. The film was nominated for and won numerous accolades, including Stenberg's winning of theNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture and being nominated for aCritics' Choice Award.
Starr Carter is a 16-year-old African-American girl who lives in the predominantly black neighborhood of Garden Heights and attends a predominantly white private school called Williamson Prep.
After a firearm is discharged at a party Starr is attending, she is driven home by her best friend, Khalil. They arestopped by a police officer for failing to signal at a lane change. The officer in question, Brian MacIntosh Jr., barks orders at Khalil. Khalil disagrees with MacIntosh, who instructs him to exit the car.
While outside the car, MacIntosh retrieves Khalil's driver’s license and instructs him to keep his hands on the roof. Instead, Khalil reaches through the driver side window and pulls out a hairbrush, MacIntosh incorrectly assumes he pulled out a gun and shoots Khalil, killing him. When Starr is cuffed and taken into custody, she is able to get MacIntosh's badge number: 115.
While MacIntosh is placed on administrative leave, the killing becomes a national news story and causes a town-wide protest against what is believed to be an example of racial injustice. Starr's identity as the witness is initially kept secret from everyone outside her family; this leaves her friends, Hailey Grant and Maya Yang, and her boyfriend, Chris – who all attend Williamson Prep – unaware of her connection to the killing.
Starr agrees to be interviewed on television and to testify in front of a grand jury. While defending Khalil's character during her interview, in which her identity is hidden, she names the King Lords, the gang that is the true scourge of her neighborhood. The gang retaliates by threatening Starr and her family, forcing them to move in with her Uncle Carlos, her mom's brother, who is a police detective.
Carlos was a father figure to Starr when her father, Maverick, spent three years in prison for a crime he confessed to. Following his release, Maverick left the gang and became the owner of the Garden Heights grocery store where Starr and her half-brother Seven work. Maverick was only allowed to leave the King Lords because hisfalse confession to the crime kept gang leader King from being locked up. King, who is widely feared, now lives with Seven's mother Iesha, as well as Seven's half-sister Kenya, who is friends with Starr, and Kenya's younger sister Lyric.
After a grand jury does not indict MacIntosh, Garden Heights erupts into both peaceful protests and warlike riots. In reaction to the decision, Starr takes an increasingly public role, including speaking out during the protests. Her increasing identification with the people of Garden Heights causes tension with her school friends, especially between her and Chris. Starr and Maya start standing up to Hailey's racist comments, breaking up their friendship, while Chris remains supportive of Starr.
Starr and Seven get trapped in Maverick's grocery store, which is fire-bombed by King and his gang. The two escape with the help of Maverick and other Garden Heights business owners. The community stands up against King, who goes to jail. Starr promises to keep Khalil's memory alive and to continue her advocacy against police violenceby "any means necessary".
On March 23, 2016, it was announced thatAmandla Stenberg would star as Starr Carter in the film, based on the novelThe Hate U Give byAngie Thomas.George Tillman Jr. would direct, from a screenplay byAudrey Wells, while producers would be Marty Bowen andWyck Godfrey through State Street Pictures andTemple Hill Entertainment.[8] On August 1, 2017,Russell Hornsby andLamar Johnson were cast in the film to play Maverick Carter, Starr's father, and Seven Carter, Starr's brother, respectively.[9] On August 3,Regina Hall was added as Lisa Carter, Starr's mother, and on August 15,Algee Smith also joined, to play Khalil, Starr's childhood best friend.[10][11] On August 22, it was reported thatCommon had been cast as Starr's uncle, a police officer.[12]
On August 23, 2017,Issa Rae was cast in the film to play April, the social activist who encourages Starr to speak out publicly. On August 24,Sabrina Carpenter was added as well, playing Hailey, one of Starr's high school friends.[13][14] On September 12,Anthony Mackie andKian Lawley joined the film to play the local drug dealer King, and Starr's boyfriend, Chris, respectively until[15] on February 5, 2018, it was announced that Lawley had been fired from the film due to a resurfaced video showing Lawley using racially offensive slurs, resulting in his role being recast and his scenes reshot.[16][17] On April 3, 2018, it was announced thatKJ Apa would replace Lawley.[18]
Principal photography on the film began on September 12, 2017, inAtlanta,Georgia.[15][19] and wrapped on November 4, 2017.[20] Reshoots were shot along with theKJ Apa's scenes in April 2018.
The Hate U Give began a limited release in the United States on October 5, 2018, before a scheduled expansion the following week, and then a wide release on October 19, the day it opened worldwide. It was previously scheduled to go directly into wide release on the 19th.[21]
The day prior to the film's release, screenwriter Audrey Wells died from cancer at the age of 58. 20th Century Fox released a statement saying, "We are simply heartbroken. Audrey's was a voice of empowerment and courage, and her words will live on through the strong, determined female characters she brought to life. Our thoughts are with Brian, Tatiana, and all of Audrey's family and friends at this difficult time."[22]
The Hate U Give was released on digital download on January 8, 2019, and onDVD/Blu-Ray on January 22, 2019.[23]
The Hate U Give grossed $29.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $5.2 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $34.9 million.[4] When Disney acquired Fox,The Hollywood Reporter stated that the film had lost Fox a total of $30–40 million due to its $23 million production budget and $30 million spent on marketing.[24][25]
In its limited opening weekend,The Hate U Give made $512,035 from 36 theaters, for an average of $14,233 per venue, finishing 13th.[26] Playing in a total of 248 theaters the following weekend, the film made $1.8 million, finishing ninth.[27] The film was projected to gross $7–9 million when it expanded to 2,303 theaters on October 19.[28] It made $2.5 million on its first day of wide release, including $300,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to gross $7.5 million over the weekend, finishing sixth at the box office.[29] It fell 33% to $5.1 million the following weekend, remaining in sixth.[30]
Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 97% based on 225 reviews, and an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Led by a breakout turn from Amandla Stenberg, the hard-hittingThe Hate U Give emphatically proves theYA genre has room for much more than magic and romance."[31] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[32] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale, whilePostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 88% positive score and a 74% "definite recommend".[29]
Writing forRolling Stone,Peter Travers gave the film four out of five stars, calling it an "exceptional adaptation", and writing, "It is impossible to over-praise Stenberg's incandescent performance, a gathering storm that grows in ferocity and feeling with each scene. Stenberg nails every nuance of a role that keeps throwing challenges at her, none more devastating than when it becomes impossible for Starr to remain stuck in neutral."[33] Scott Mendelson, writing forForbes, stated that the film deserved to be anAcademy Awards frontrunner for its screenplay, Stenberg and Russell Hornsby's performances, and the picture itself, saying it "belongs among the final list of would-be Best Picture nominees."[34]
Keith Watson ofSlant Magazine, however, gave the film two out of four stars, writing, "Given its intensely relevant subject matter, the film can't help but churn up a lot of raw emotions—and the allusions toMichael Brown,Sandra Bland, andEmmett Till are reminders of the real-life sorrow that birthed this film—but Tillman's anonymous direction is content merely to illustrate the screenplay without ever bringing it to life. Even scenes that are meant to be tinged with menace and danger—run-ins with a local gang, a shooting at a party—feel about as raw as an episode ofDegrassi".[35] The film was also criticized by some female African-American critics as well,[36][37] includingSoraya Nadia McDonald ofAndscape, who said that "In dealing with all of it, the book character finds her confidence and her voice. But the movie version ofThe Hate U Give leaves me unsure that its makers ever found theirs."[36]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African-American Film Critics Association | December 18, 2018 | Top Ten Films | The Hate U Give | 3rd place | [38] |
| Best Supporting Actor | Russell Hornsby | Won | |||
| Best Breakout Performance | Amandla Stenberg | Won | |||
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 10, 2019 | Best Screenplay, Adapted | Audrey Wells | Nominated | [39] |
| Best Woman Screenwriter | Nominated | ||||
| BET Awards | June 23, 2019 | Best Movie | The Hate U Give | Nominated | [40] |
| Black Reel Awards | February 7, 2019 | Best Actress | Amandla Stenberg | Nominated | [41] |
| Best Supporting Actor | Russell Hornsby | Nominated | |||
| Best Original or Adapted Song | "We Won't Move" by Arlissa | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score | Dustin O'Halloran | Nominated | |||
| Casting Society of America | January 31, 2019 | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature - Drama | Yesi Ramirez, Tara Feldstein, Chase Paris | Nominated | [42] |
| Critics Choice Movie Awards | January 13, 2019 | Best Young Performer | Amandla Stenberg | Nominated | [43] |
| Georgia Film Critics Association | January 12, 2019 | Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema | George Tillman Jr., Audrey Wells | Nominated | [44] |
| Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | February 13, 2019 | Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $25 Million Dollars | Season Kent | Nominated | [45] |
| Hamptons International Film Festival | October 8, 2018 | Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature | George Tillman Jr. | Won | [46] |
| Breakthrough Artist | Amandla Stenberg | Won | |||
| Hollywood Film Awards | November 4, 2018 | Breakout Actress | Won | [47] | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 15, 2018 | Best Original Song - Feature Film | "We Won't Move" by Arlissa | Nominated | [48] |
| Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society | December 7, 2018 | Best Picture | The Hate U Give | Won | [49] |
| Best Supporting Actor | Russell Hornsby | Won | |||
| Best Performance by and Actress 23 or Under | Amandla Stenberg | Nominated | |||
| Best Breakthrough Performance | Won | ||||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Audrey Wells | Won | |||
| Mill Valley Film Festival | October 15, 2018 | Spotlight Award | Amandla Stenberg | Won | [50] |
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | June 15, 2019 | Best Performance in a Movie | Nominated | [51] | |
| NAACP Image Awards | March 30, 2019 | Outstanding Motion Picture | The Hate U Give | Nominated | [52] |
| Outstanding Actress | Amandla Stenberg | Won | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor | Russell Hornsby | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress | Regina Hall | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Ensemble Cast | The Cast ofThe Hate U Give | Nominated | |||
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | December 9, 2018 | Best Supporting Actor | Russell Hornsby | Nominated | [53] |
| Seattle Film Critics Society | December 17, 2018 | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | [54] | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 16, 2018 | Best Soundtrack | The Hate U Give | Nominated | [55] |
| Teen Choice Awards | August 11, 2019 | Choice Movie - Drama | The Hate U Give | Nominated | [56] |
| Choice Drama Movie Actress | Amandla Stenberg | Nominated | |||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 3, 2018 | Best Breakthrough Performance | Nominated | [57] | |
| Women Film Critics Circle | December 11, 2018 | Best Woman Storyteller | Audrey Wells | Won | [58] |
| Best Young Actress | Amandla Stenberg | Nominated | |||
| Best Family Film | The Hate U Give | Nominated | |||
| Josephine Baker Award | Nominated |
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