Minority Mindset

The film Blue Moon tells the story of Lorenz Hart, a talented lyricist who wrote hit musicals like Pal Joey with his partner Richard Rodgers. However, the movie focuses on a single night after their greatest successes, when Rodgers has moved on to collaborate with Oscar Hammerstein II on a new musical, Oklahoma! This new partnership would become the most famous in musical theater history. The film depicts Hart, a gay, troubled alcoholic, grappling with being left behind as the world shifts toward more optimistic entertainment during wartime. He spends the opening night of Oklahoma! drowning his sorrows, complaining to a bartender, and longing for a young woman he can’t have. Despite being a sad story, Blue Moon is surprisingly funny and witty, thanks to a script packed with jokes. The writer aimed to capture Hart’s voice through his lyrics, which are known for being smart, playful, and subtly melancholic, even when they’re humorous.

Colleen Hoover is adapting her 2022 novel into a screenplay, collaborating with co-writer and co-producer Lauren Levine and director Vanessa Caswill. The story explores familiar themes from Hoover’s work: a woman from a humble background, a wealthy man who tries to introduce her to his world, a devastating event that separates them, and the possibility of forgiveness and starting over. This time, the story centers on Kenna (Maika Monroe), who fell in love with the privileged Scotty (Rudy Pankow) seven years ago. They were young and carefree, and after sharing a single cannabis edible, a car accident led to Scotty’s death. Kenna served six years in prison for driving under the influence and is now trying to rebuild her life in Laramie, Wyoming. These details are established early on and aren’t major plot twists.

Similar to the character Reacher, Alex Cross comes directly from the popular novels of James Patterson. Played by Aldis Hodge, Cross is a dedicated husband and father, as well as a highly skilled forensic psychologist who is determined to see justice served. He can be very serious and focused, but also isn’t afraid to show empathy.

The film’s message is weakened by delivering its main points in the very last moments. From the start, the plot is predictable, making much of the movie feel slow and drawn-out, and the eventual “twist” isn’t very surprising. It doesn’t quite succeed as either a sharp social commentary or a gripping political thriller. While Adam Scott and Danielle Deadwyler give engaging performances and make the film watchable, the overall message ultimately doesn’t make a strong impact.

It’s common for new installments in a franchise to try and move the story forward. While most sequels avoid changing established lore, Alien: Earth seemed determined to do just that. It introduced Xenomorphs to Earth much earlier than in the original Alien films – something that didn’t happen until Resurrection – and made other significant changes, but surprisingly, fans didn’t seem to object.