Washington Plays Private Trip example essay topic

One of the true tests of success in Hollywood is the notion of longevity. If an actor can manage to remain in the spot light for long periods of time the more accredited his claim to fame will be. Another test of success is consistency. An actor who can repeatedly produce great work and be recognized for that work will shine in Hollywood.

Today in the movie business one of the most influential actors in Hollywood is Denzel Washington. Washington has starred in many roles in many movies. However, there is something about Washington that makes him shine brighter than most minority actors. In this paper I will discuss why I think the character roles Denzel Washington has chosen have carefully created a respectable career for him in Hollywood.

To help explain why I think Denzel is who he is I will describe who each character is that he plays, what the character offered to the movie, the goal of the character, miscellaneous information about the character, the audiences view on the character and the overall impression of the character. Next I will compare and contrast the characters and note any significant similarities and differences. I will compare how the audience would interpret the behavior of the characters. After that I will reflect on quotes and research I found on Denzel Washington. Finally, I will conclude all my information and restate my opinion on Washington's success. Washington has starred in numerous films and several TV shows.

In my research I analyzed three films Washington starred in. These three films are Philadelphia (1993), Glory (1989), and Remember the Titans (2000). As part of my research I am going to give a brief description of the movie and a description of each character. The first movie, Philadelphia, is about a man (Tom Hanks) who is dying of AIDS and feels that he has been wrongfully fired by his firm. Hanks approaches Washington to be his legal representative in a discrimination law suit against the firm.

Washington plays attorney Joe Miller in Philadelphia. Joe Miller is married with a new born daughter. Majority of his client al for his law office is due to TV ads he does. Miller speaks very articulately and intelligently. Miller has a big family that is very supportive. In most scenes of the movie Miller is dressed in a suit and tie, his casual clothes are nice pants and a sweater.

Miller keeps his hair cut neat and has a simple mustache. The only jewelry he wears is a wrist watch and a wedding band. Miller is a courteous man who holds doors open for ladies. He is generous as well, he donates money to those in need. Miller is a hard worker who is serious about his job and stays late at the office reading just to be prepared. Miller is a family man who stops at the drug store on the way home to buy papers for his newborn.

He kisses his daughter, that he has named after his sister, first thing when he comes home. Spirituality is important to Miller who prays for health, his family and his sports teams. He lives in a modest two story home in a nice area. Miller is homophobic.

In the movie Philadelphia Washington is supposed to be the family man who works hard and makes everyone happy and proud. Washington is representing a man who despite his dislike for homosexuals, he will put his own feelings aside and help another person out. The character that Washington is playing is one that anyone could know. He could be you brother, best friend, co-worker, or neighbor.

The audience perceives the character as a common fellow. He's not too great of man to make him seem unreal, nor is he too bad of a man to make anyone dislike him. He is a believable character. When viewers see this character they see a little bit of themselves or someone they know. The goal of Joe Miller was to present a man who was not perfect but close to it. He had to be likeable enough so the audience would not turn on him when he said he hates gays or calls them faggots.

Over all Washington was able to present a role where he came upon a situation that was uncomfortable and he managed to overcome his prejudice against homosexuals. In the end Washington is a winner because he wins the case as well as the audience as being the good guy. The next movie, Glory, takes place in 1862 and 1863. Glory is based on a true story that occurred during the American Civil War. In 1862 the North allowed for the first colored regiment of soldiers to be established in Massachusetts. The all Black regiment was led by a white colonel.

All the Black soldiers were eager to fight for their rights and serve their country. Washington plays Private Trip one of the soldiers in the war. Private Trip is a lonely man who ran away at the age of 12. He is from Tennessee and has no family.

Private Trip is a loud mouth kind of guy who is aggressive and assertive. He speaks his mind. Private Trip is very independent. He likes to do things on his own and take the initiative when needed. Private Trip has a lot of anger bottled up inside of him.

He is a strong man and he can tolerate pain. Private Trip has seen a lot in his young years. He has endured much sorrow and suffering. Private Trip is the product of racism yet he turns out to be the most patriotic of the soldiers. Private Trip talks a lot and can be offensive.

He doesn't care what others think of him. Private Trip stands for what he believes in. He fights hard for what he wants. He is a run away slave. Private Trip is a leader. Denzel Washington really did a great job as Private Trip.

Even though there were numerous soldiers in the film, Washington's character was one of the more realistic soldiers. Private Trip was a lost young man who had endured so much pain and grief that he couldn't trust or care for anyone but himself. This character brought another point of view to the movie. While the other soldiers were happy getting paid $10 a month for working, Private Trip was unsatisfied for not getting the $13 the White soldiers were getting. In fact Private Trip tore up his check claiming he wouldn't accept any check that was not for $13. When viewers see this character they can feel the pain he has gone through and you can tell that that is the reason he has a chip on his shoulder.

Viewers might see Private Trip as obnoxious at first but usually the things he says are true. He is the voice everyone hears in the back of their minds but refuses to listen to because it is not pleasant. The goal of this character is to portray a soldier that has a deep soul. He isn't trying to be anyone's friend or enemy, he is simply a soldier. He is fighting not only for equality but a battle within himself. He is overcoming his past and pursuing a brighter future.

The over all impression the character gave is one that can over come obstacles. Private trip represents someone who is a fighter and doesn't give up. The third movie, Remember the Titans, is based on a real life drama and takes place in the South in 1971. Coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) has inherited the job as head coach of the local high school.

The school has just abolished segregation and the students as well as the town isn't pleased. Coach Boone has to over come race factors, threats, and adversity in order to keep his job. Coach Boone is tough. He tolerates nothing.

Coach Boone is a perfectionist. Mistakes and accidents are not permitted on or off the football field. Coach Boone has a family, he is married with a wife and daughter. He lives in a modest house in a decent neighborhood. Coach Boone is very ethical. He is a fair man who treats everyone the same.

He shows no favoritism to any player, white or black. Coach Boone is a hard working coach. He doesn't like to ask for help and he likes to do things on his own. Coach Boone is serious about football.

He loves his players but would never tell them so. Coach Boone has a hard time accepting medic racy. He wants everything to be done perfectly and above average. Coach Boone is a winner. Very few actors in Hollywood could have carried off the role as Coach Boone. The character had to be someone who was tough and likeable at the same time.

He was someone who could get under your skin and at the same time you respected him for what he has done. People would perceive Coach Boone as a mean guy at first, but after a while you see it was all for the best. You respect a guy like Coach Boone because he knows what he is talking about. There is a purpose for everything he does. When viewers see Coach Boone they might think he is being unfair but in the end they can appreciate all that he did.

The goal of Coach Boone's character is to present a man who will go as far as he can no matter what the odds are. Coach Boone does not quit and does not expect his players to quit either. Overall Coach Boone is a good guy, he is not doing these things for himself, but for the students. I think the audience can value a guy like Coach Boone because he produces winners. Since everyone would like to be a winner you have to appreciate Coach Boone.

Attorney Joe Miller, Private Trip and Coach Boone are all significant men within each of their own context. All of them share leadership qualities. The three characters Washington has played are all of men who people would like to be. In Philadelphia he was the man who stood up for someone else's rights. In Glory he portrayed a strong team player by taking the flag after the colonels death.

In Remember the Titans he produced a perfect team and created a cohesive atmosphere for his players. Coach Boone and Joe Miller valued their families. They prioritized what was important and appeared self less. Private Trip and Coach Boone both were fighting for equality.

They wanted to be viewed as everyone else that wasn't black. They wanted to be valued for what they could do, not what they looked like. Joe Miller and Private Trip did not tolerate discrimination. They tried to stand up for what they believed in. All three of the characters dealt with overcoming adversity and proving to someone else their worth.

The three characters were all involved in some sort of discrimination. In the end all of the characters won their battles. The representation of each character was different. The immediate reaction you have of each character is different as well. For example, Private Trip is a loud mouth who seems to be a trouble maker and you kind of wish he would be quiet.

That is until you see his scars and realize the pain he has suffered. Not just physical pain but emotional as well. In Philadelphia you seem to think Attorney Joe Miller has it all. The wife, the family, the good job. Everything seems so easy for him.

He is living the American Dream. You would not think he had a problem in the world. Coach Boone is a little bit of both. He has the family and he has the pain.

You know Coach Boone has been through some things but somehow you know the future holds something good for him. So each character is at a different stage in their life. One knows where he is, one is on his way to being at where he wants to be, and the other is a lost man who thinks he has no where to go. In the Directors commentary section of the movie Remember the Titans, Director Boaz Yakin said he instantly knew he wanted Denzel Washington to play the role of Coach Boone. Yakin said "I knew we had to have a guy who could be a bastard but a likeable guy at the same time. I knew that Denzel was the only guy I knew like that".

Since Denzel Washington has played such a powerful character in most of his films he has establish the persona of a "good guy". A lot of people will excuse some things that Denzel will do in character that they might not accept if another actor did it. Yakin made the comment that he did because he knew that Denzel Washington has created a positive person in the mind of the audience. It would have been harder to accept the behavior of Coach Boone had someone else played the role. Director of Glory, Edward Zwick described Washington by stating, "Whatever that mysterious chemical process is that makes the camera love someone, he has more of it than any one person should". (Malt in) The strong presence that Washington is able to portray is evident in all his movies As stated in the comment by Zwick, that no matter what the role is the audience is going to love the character that Washington plays.

In Glory Washington was such an obnoxious young man who seemed to be ignorant at times, yet we loved what his character stood for. We were able to put aside all his negativity and see the good in Private Trip. Washington has played many real life characters in his movie career. Some of his most acclaimed work has been from movies that were based on true stories.

When Washington does these real life stories he finds characters that have over come many difficulties in their lives and end up winning. So by Washington starring in roles where he always ends up a winner he is creating an image in the viewers mind that he is a winner. When the audience leaves the movie they remember what great things Washington did to turn out the way he did. Many people have a hard time separating movies from the real world and some people assume the character is that person in real life. Since Washington is so accustomed to playing the good guy, he has been branded as Hollywood's good Black guy. One of the things that Washington has been able to do is transcend racial lines.

That is one of Washington's greatest contribution to American cinema. As Douglas Brode, author of Denzel Washington: His Films and Career states, "Denzel has always insisted, in his personal life, that he wants to be treated in a color-blind manner, while professionally he has always been on the lookout for just such film roles". Brode also states that Washington turned down a role in Oliver Stone's Platoon because, he said, he didn't just want to play "one of the black characters" who either "cleaned toilets" or "left before the fighting started". As you can see Washington is very selective of which roles he will play as he carefully constructs his Hollywood image.

Denzel Washington is the first African American male to win an Academy Award for the Best Male Actor category. Washington won this award for his role as Detective Alonzo Harris in the movie Training Day. Surprisingly, this role was one of Washington's most ill-mannered, profane, selfish, and malicious characters. This was definitely the "bad guy" role for Washington and this is the film that won him an Academy Award.

The irony in this situation is Denzel has played the good guy for so long that his acting talents were only recognized by the Academy when he played the stereotypical black male role, which is the ignorant, greedy, street thug. Granted Washington did receive an Academy for Best Supporting Actor in the movie Glory, but the difference is in the movie that got him the top academy award. The movie going audience sets Denzel apart from other Black actors. You probably won't see him in gangster or comedy films that most of the Black actors take part in. Instead he does general movies, movies that any color person can relate to.

I think that this is why audiences of all colors like his movies. He has gone out of the stereotypical realm that most actors put themselves in. In conclusion, I think that Denzel Washington has amazing acting abilities and his career is far from over. One of the things that is so appealing about Washington is his humbleness. He is not out there boasting about how much he makes and how many films he has been in. Washington is a great success in Hollywood for numerous reasons.

First he is brilliant on screen. His acting talents are truly remarkable. Second he studies his character. For preparation for the movie Philadelphia Washington met with lawyer Johnny Cochran. For the movie The Hurricane he went in the actual jail. Washington becomes whoever the character is that he is playing.

Third Washington is very selective of what roles he takes. This is not because he thinks he skills are beyond what the movie has to offer, but because he knows what image he has to maintain and what will help his career. Finally, Washington has an appeal to the audience that few actors have. It's not just his good looks that make it easy on they eyes to watch him either. The audience believes whatever character Washington is playing. I think that is great for an African American actor to be appreciated and respected like Washington is.

I hope that many other young and rising black actors will follow in Washington's footsteps and see that there are other roles out there that aren't just gang related of demeaning.