West Side Story – Spielberg remake (1 Viewer)

[Jake Lipson]

Who is Ansel Engort?

I thought that was already clear to anyone reading this thread. He is playing (well, technically played in the past tense, since filming is over) Tony in this version of West Side Story, which is why the allegation is related to this thread. He is also well-known for starring in The Fault in Our Stars and Baby Driver.

He's not actually denying that the encounter occurred, just his accuser's perception of that encounter.

Right. I should have been more clear. He is denying that the alleged assault was an assault. That being said, technically, if the girl was 17 and she consented, it would be statutory rape. A minor cannot consent.

So far, this is just someone venting on Twitter. It doesn't sound like there are any actual legal proceedings underway.

I do not feel qualified to judge this matter because there is a lot we don't know. If the allegation is true, it is very damming. However, the choice of Twitter as a venue to make such an accusation is an interesting one. What the accuser is claiming is rape, which is clearly a criminal act and may still be prosecutable, depending on the statute of limitations where it occurred. We'll see if this goes further or ntot.

In either case, I believe that the best course of action is for the film to be delayed until 2021. Even if the accusation was not a factor, a remake of West Side Story directed by Spielberg is obviously aimed in large part to an audience of older adults, who are currently higher risk of contracting the virus. Obviously, none of us actually know anything about how films will behave at the box office when theaters reopen just yet. But my guess is that Disney can probably put out Black Widow, Mulan, and The King's Man this year because films of those nature are younger-skewing. West Side Story, being designed to appeal at least in part to older audience members, would seem to be in a more challenging position because those audiences would be justifiably more reluctant to return to theaters under present conditions.

That a delay would also give Disney more time to assess what happens with the allegations is almost beside the point.

 

[Malcolm R]

Right. I should have been more clear. He is denying that the alleged assault was an assault. That being said, technically, if the girl was 17 and she consented, it would be statutory rape. A minor cannot consent.

Age of consent in New York is 17. If she consented, there's no crime.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Age of consent in New York is 17.

I did not know that. Thank you for clarifying.

In that case, we have a he-said/she-said situation here where she claims it was rape and he claims it was consensual. That would make it challenging to prosecute unless she has evidence of some kind or did a rape kit at the time of the incident. I do not feel like I am personally qualified to make any judgments here because we are not part of the situation.

Is it horrible to say that even if he did this, I still want to see West Side Story? Because I do, hopefully delayed to 2021 when it is safe to go enjoy it in a movie theater.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Is it horrible to say that even if he did this, I still want to see West Side Story?

Nope.

Because I do, hopefully delayed to 2021 when it is safe to go enjoy it in a movie theater.

Not sure how it'll be much safer in 2021 than later this year,

 

[Robert Crawford]

Not sure how it'll be much safer in 2021 than later this year,

I think he's hoping for an effective vaccine by then which may or may not happen.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Yes, my hope would be that by December 2021 we have a vaccine. Obviously, no one actually knows how long that will take, and it may not happen by then. But I hope it does.

If there is not one by then, the world will be significantly worse off than we are right now, regardless of whether or not it is safe to go to a movie.

I say December 2021 in relation to this movie because I assume that the film is delayed, it will be a year; they'll obviously want West Side Story to be in an awards season spot.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

If Natalie Wood was too white to play Maria as I’ve been reading here why is the new Anita black and not a Latina?
Also this movie is obviously made for a younger audience as everything is today- a cast of mostly young unknowns- not partly for an older audience who don’t go to movies anyway. And no need to postpone it until 2021- ridiculous as on demand is only way to watch since Covid. Upcoming summer releases are going on demand same day as theater. Who wants to go to a movie theater nowadays?

 

[mark brown]

We still enjoy the theatrical experience and cannot wait to get out again when prudent to do so! The WSS remake is not on our to-see list, however!

 

[TravisR]

Also this movie is obviously made for a younger audience as everything is today- a cast of mostly young unknowns- not partly for an older audience who don’t go to movies anyway. And no need to postpone it until 2021- ridiculous as on demand is only way to watch since Covid. Upcoming summer releases are going on demand same day as theater.

Studios make hundreds of millions from theaters so until they can figure how to make that much or more from VOD (and, as of now, they definitely are not making that kind of money), they will gladly continue to release movies to theaters.

Also, old people go to the movies plenty. Admittedly, they may hold off until the pandemic is over but that would be a good reason to postpone this a year when there's hopefully a vaccine.

 

[Malcolm R]

Also, old people go to the movies plenty. Admittedly, they may hold off until the pandemic is over but that would be a good reason to postpone this a year when there's hopefully a vaccine.

Given all the senior citizens I see walking around without masks or social distancing, they may be among the first to go back to theaters.

 

[Robert Crawford]

If Natalie Wood was too white to play Maria as I’ve been reading here why is the new Anita black and not a Latina?
Also this movie is obviously made for a younger audience as everything is today- a cast of mostly young unknowns- not partly for an older audience who don’t go to movies anyway. And no need to postpone it until 2021- ridiculous as on demand is only way to watch since Covid. Upcoming summer releases are going on demand same day as theater. Who wants to go to a movie theater nowadays?

You shouldn't just go by somebody's appearance and name to identify their ethnicity. Ariana DeBose is an example.

 

[Jake Lipson]

If Natalie Wood was too white to play Maria as I’ve been reading here why is the new Anita black and not a Latina?

DeBose's father is Afro-Puerto Rican. She does have that heritage.

Also, obviously Natalie Wood wasn't too white to play Maria because she did it. She would not have been selected for that role today because we have different standards about cultural inclusivity now, which is one of the many reasons this remake will be valuable. But that doesn't take away from the achievement of the prior film at all. The previous version is a towering achievement, including a great performance by Natalie Wood, which also happens to have some problems relative to representation today. Both things can be true at the same time.

There is no way that West Side Story will receive a simultaneous theatrical/VOD release.

Also, old people go to the movies plenty. Admittedly, they may hold off until the pandemic is over but that would be a good reason to postpone this a year when there's hopefully a vaccine.

This is my hope exactly. It's weird that I have switched from wanting movies I like to come out as soon as possible to preferring them delayed, but that is where we are. Out of everything that remains on the 2020 schedule, this is the single film I would most hate to miss in a theater, so I'm hoping Disney does not make me choose between seeing it there and my health. Although I am not a senior, I do not personally believe that my body would respond well to the virus if I got it, because I already take a long time to recovering from garden variety colds and I'm sure this is way worse. So I do not currently have plans to go to the movies for the foreseeable future.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

DeBose's father is Afro-Puerto Rican. She does have that heritage.

Also, obviously Natalie Wood wasn't too white to play Maria because she did it. She would not have been selected for that role today because we have different standards about cultural inclusivity now, which is one of the many reasons this remake will be valuable. But that doesn't take away from the achievement of the prior film at all. The previous version is a towering achievement, including a great performance by Natalie Wood, which also happens to have some problems relative to representation today. Both things can be true at the same time.

You left out Debose was born and raised In North Carolina hardly Latin America. And I said a Latina not a Blatina. So how is this better than Rita Moreno who is authentically born in Puerto Rico? By the way she self identifies as Black not Latin.
And excuse me but Natalie Wood was an actual Hollywood Star and perfectly suited for the role as most Puerto Rican’s are actually light skinned. Why a black Anita is all I ask. And how is the cast of Hamilton culturally appropriate? Just questions. Not judgements

 

[Noel Aguirre]

You shouldn't just go by somebody's appearance and name to identify their ethnicity. Ariana DeBose is an example.

What are you talking about? She was born and raised in NorthCarolina not Puerto Rico and Self identifies as black . You are all going by Natalie Wood and George Chakiris appearance and name. Im just pointing out the double standard.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

Given all the senior citizens I see walking around without masks or social distancing, they may be among the first to go back to theaters.

Well not in New York City. Only millennials and protestors are doing that.

 

[Robert Crawford]

What are you talking about? She was born and raised in NorthCarolina not Puerto Rico and Self identifies as black . You are all going by Natalie Wood and George Chakiris appearance and name. Im just pointing out the double standard.

Do you know what you're talking about as where a person was raised has little to do with her ethnicity?

 

[Robert Crawford]

You left out Debose was born and raised In North Carolina hardly Latin America. And I said a Latina not a Blatina. So how is this better than Rita Moreno who is authentically born in Puerto Rico? By the way she self identifies as Black not Latin.
And excuse me but Natalie Wood was an actual Hollywood Star and perfectly suited for the role as most Puerto Rican’s are actually light skinned. Why a black Anita is all I ask. And how is the cast of Hamilton culturally appropriate? Just questions. Not judgements

It looks judgmental to me.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Why a black Anita is all I ask.

Because Ariana DeBose is awesome. She has the ethnic heritage to match the role, and she can sing like nobody's business. She will be a big asset to this film. There's no reason Spielberg should not have given her the role. Here she is on the original cast album of A Bronx Tale as Jane:

And how is the cast of Hamilton culturally appropriate?

Because that's how Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote it. The point of Hamilton is to tell the story of America then using a cast that reflects the diversity of America now. Using a primarily non-white, multicultural cast for that show is baked into its conception. We all know that George Washington wasn't actually black, but he didn't sing rap songs, either. By taking that role and giving it to a black actor, Miranda is helping a community of people who have been marginalized in their own country take ownership of their connection to America's history.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

Well not in New York City. Only millennials and protestors are doing that.

Because Ariana DeBose is awesome. She has the ethnic heritage to match the role, and she can sing like nobody's business. She will be a big asset to this film. There's no reason Spielberg should not have given her the role. Here she is on the original cast album of A Bronx Tale as Jane:





Because that's how Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote it. The point of Hamilton is to tell the story of America then using a cast that reflects the diversity of America now. Using a primarily non-white, multicultural cast for that show is baked into its conception. We all know that George Washington wasn't actually black, but he didn't sing rap songs, either. By taking that role and giving it to a black actor, Miranda is helping a community of people who have been marginalized in their own country take ownership of their connection to America's history.

and do you feel the same way about Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and R&H‘S Flower Drum Song and The King & I because that is how they wrote it?
Blacks and Asians apparently do not with those examples yet whites should accept a black George Washington simply because non-musical rap is in vogue?

 

[Noel Aguirre]

It looks judgmental to me.

Well it’s not. Simply asking how is she more authentic then Puerto Rican Rita Moreno as Anita in the original? That’s not judging anything. This is supposed to be more authentiic then the original that’s all.
You know what I’m done with this thread - until Spielberg’s film walks away 10 Oscars including Best Picture and reviewed as a landmark then I’ll go see it. Good luck with that. When is the next unnecessary remake from clueless Hollywood coming?
Ben Hur, Psycho, Carrie, West Side Story, Fiddler, etc Someone please redo Citizen Kane and Vertigo next - we need it so desperately.