Top 10 Awful Truths About Movies We Love

“American Beauty” (1999)
When it was released, “American Beauty” was a critical darling and essentially swept at the Academy Awards, taking home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. But although we’re supposed to sympathize with protagonist Lester Burnham, it’s clear with a little perspective that he is simply a middle-aged man preying on a teenage girl - in other words, he’s a creep. Actor Kevin Spacey’s alleged real-life behavior, which involved multiple instances of sexual misconduct, certainly doesn’t make it any easier to go back and watch this performance, which is now almost impossible to view without cringing.

“Dumbo” (1941)
It’s hard to imagine anything controversial taking place in one of our beloved childhood favorite films, but if you pay attention, the handling of race in “Dumbo” is seriously troubling. The most prominent crow character in the film, who was created as an African American stereotype, was originally named “Jim Crow” before his name was changed to “Dandy Crow” several years after the movie’s initial release. Even Disney must have realized that there was no fixing these racist characters because in the 2019 live-action version, they were entirely missing from the narrative. It was probably for the best!

“Legally Blonde” (2001)
“Legally Blonde” is nothing short of a cinematic treasure, but there’s one particular storyline that probably wouldn’t sit well with some modern viewers. In the film, Elle establishes a discrepancy in the court case because she establishes that, Enrique, the pool boy, is gay. This throws off the facts of the case because the woman she is defending was allegedly sleeping with him. How does she know this, though? Because he comments on her shoes and notes the designer who made them. In the end, Elle is right about Enrique’s sexuality, but she makes her discovery based on gay stereotypes rather than on, you know, actual research.

“Love Actually” (2003)
Just because we watch something every Christmas doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be a little bit critical of it. Classic holiday rom-com “Love Actually” features many charming intertwining storylines, but upon closer inspection, it doesn't exactly hold up to modern views of how female characters should be treated in movies. First, there’s the infamous sign scene, where a guy is seen as a charming romantic for telling his best friend’s wife he’s in love with her. Then there’s the fact that so many of the storylines hinge on men falling in love with women who they barely know. This includes not one, but two bosses having relationships with their employees. We’d like a modern progressive reboot, please!

“Peter Rabbit” (2018)
If you loved Beatrix Potter’s charming world of woodland creatures as a child, you might want to skip watching the 2018 adaptation of “Peter Rabbit.” The wholesome vibe of Potter’s stories is entirely scrapped in favor of portraying the character as nothing short of despicable and possibly… a psychopath? One critic, Mark Kermode, even went as far as saying, "If you’ve read the books, you will be appalled.” The most egregious scene takes place when Peter attacks Thomas McGregor with blackberries, which he is severely allergic to, and causes him to go into anaphylactic shock.

“Wedding Crashers” (2005)
When “Wedding Crashers” hit theatres in 2005, it was both a critical and commercial hit and was even credited with bringing new life to this specific sub-genre of comedy. At the time, John and Jeremy’s antics seemed like they were all in good fun, but in reality, they both got by with lying to women and in Jeremy’s case especially, ditching them as soon as anything got even remotely serious. While this character trope was a popular one in the mid-aughts, it certainly isn’t viewed favorably now. The treatment of gay characters in the film is a whole different can of worms, but let’s just say that definitely hasn’t aged well either.

“Avatar” (2009)
A trope that is prominent in many Hollywood films is the white savior complex. Here’s how it works: a “primitive” native society is under some sort of siege and needs the help of an outside character to save them, being unable to handle their problem themselves. Of course, the hero just happens to be white. “Avatar” is definitely guilty of this, and has also been criticized for the similarity it bears to other films like “Dances with Wolves.” “Avatar” is one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, so clearly cinemagoers weren’t too bothered by this plot point, but it is a truth that’s been discussed in the years since its release.

“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984)
It’s easy to give a lot of classic movies a pass when it comes to issues of racism or sexism because they were made at a different time… right? But when “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” came out in 1984, it received strong criticism for the portrayals of both the Chinese and Indian people in the film. Like “Avatar,” which was released decades later, “Temple of Doom” was accused of using their white hero to save the people of India, and also for showing the Chinese as being villainous. The movie was even banned for a time in India because of the racist depictions of life in the country, including showing characters eating monkey brains and baby snakes.

“Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” (1994)
With the gift of modern perspective, “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” which so many people loved when it was released, has become nearly unwatchable. Near the end of the film, the titular character kisses the woman he knows as Lois Einhorn, but is later disgusted when he discovers that she is actually transgender. His over-the-top reaction shows how horrified he is, and he goes on to publicly “out” her in front of a large group of people, even trying to show off her genitals to prove his point. This treatment of a trans character is truly appalling and shows just how unaware we were as a society not long ago. And that’s without even mentioning the harmful trope of trans people being deceptive about their gender.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few not-so honorable mentions.

The Use of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl Trope, “Garden State” (2004)
Natalie Portman’s Character Is Pure Male Fantasy

Noah’s Unacceptable Behavior, “The Notebook” (2004)
Noah Should Have Realized That No Means No

Questions of Consent, “Grease” (1978)
You Shouldn’t Have to Ask "If She Put up a Fight"

Sexism & Body-Shaming, “Miss Congeniality” (2000)
The Film Features Jokes About Eating Disorders

Brownface, “West Side Story” (1961)
White Actors Playing Puerto Rican Characters

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961)
Throughout the history of film, there have been instances of actors playing races outside of their own, sometimes using offensive makeup and stereotyped performances. But one of the most derogatory examples in a generally beloved film has to be Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of I. Y. Yunioshi in yellowface. Rooney wore false teeth and darkened his skin for the role, and acted out some of the most heinous caricatures of Japanese people that we can imagine. Of course in the years that have followed, those involved with the film have regretted their decision, with producer Richard Shepherd clearly saying that he wished he could take it back.