Minority Mindset

The Star Wars Holiday Special brought back familiar faces like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, R2-D2, and C-3PO. But the special mainly followed Chewbacca’s family and their wish for him to come home for a holiday called Life Day. Life Day is similar to Christmas in the Star Wars universe. It began as a Wookiee tradition centered around family and peace, but it became a widely celebrated holiday across the galaxy.

It’s now very common to see Disney’s animated classics turned into live-action films, and many have come out recently. So, while another live-action Disney remake isn’t shocking, the choice of character for this new adaptation might be unexpected for some viewers.

While the film excels in its visuals and acting, and accurately portrays the time period, its impact is lessened by a lack of focus. The story could be set in almost any struggling country, rather than specifically Iraq. Everything, from the detailed city settings to the characters themselves, reflects the crumbling society around them, but this broad approach diminishes the film’s unique power.

Kubrick’s films often gain new layers of meaning over time, and Eyes Wide Shut is no exception. While the film is known for its explicit scenes, more unsettling moments—like one where a shop owner seemingly offers his young daughter to Tom Cruise’s character—suggest a world where sex, power, and exploitation are intertwined. Looking back, these subtle hints now seem to foreshadow disturbing events that would later come to light. In the 2010s, conspiracy theories like Pizzagate and QAnon brought rumors of elite sex-trafficking into public view. Then, with the arrest and death of Jeffrey Epstein, Kubrick’s film, once overlooked by many, began to feel eerily prophetic.

Hearing about the loss of Reiner and his wife, Michele, got me thinking about how he first made his mark in Hollywood. He started writing scripts that were genuinely funny, but also weren’t afraid to question things – and that became a real signature of everything he did, whether it was a movie or a TV show. It’s something I always admired about his work.