THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR
US, 2019, 100 minutes, Colour.
Yara Shahidi, Charles Melton, John Leguizamo.
Directed by Ry Russo- Young.
In a way, this is what Young Adult literature is about. The target audience is young men and women in their teens, young men and women in their 20s.
This is definitely a young Young Adult story which is a romance, yet full of regrets. It is also a story of the variety of the population of New York City, the various ethnic groups – in this particular case, from the West Indies and from South Korea.
Most of the action takes place over a day and a half. We are introduced to the two central characters, seeing them in their situations and in their families. Then there will be a chance encounter, one seeing the other from a distance and intrigued, then following, help in preventing an accident, then conversation.
She is a young woman from a West Indian family who have settled in New York. She loves science, is ambitious to be a scientist, wants to stay in the United States. However, her family are subject to deportation moves and she makes a number of efforts to prevent the deportation.
He is a young man from a Korean family, an enterprising father who has set up a hair business (telling us that this was very strong in Korea), with a loving mother and with a brother who is at great pains to become a tough American.
He sees her from a distance at Grand Central Station, and it is he who saves her from being knocked down by a car. She is on her way to an interview to get help from a lawyer to stop the deportation (a sympathetic John Leguizamo). He is on his way to an interview about his future, his father wanting him to study medicine while he himself wants to be a poet.
They become friendly, he challenging her to look into his eyes steadily for several minutes, telling her that it will have an emotional effect. They also have a visit to his father’s store and an encounter with his brother. They visit her family, involving packing, and her father is aggressively unsympathetic. And his appointment is put off till the next day so they have some time together.
And, as in romantic stories, they will encounter each other – both having appointments with the same lawyer. However, the future seems not to be…
There is an epilogue to the film five years later. The family has gone back to the West Indies and the young woman has continued her studies, eventually getting documents to enable her to return to the United States. He, in the meantime, writes poetry, recites his poetry to the customers in the restaurant that they had visited in the past.
She had loved the sun and had told the poet this – and, just as she goes out the door, read it in the restaurant in hope, regretting that the two of them had not met after all these years, as his poem about the sun. And… Is there a sequel? For Romantics and for realists, there should be a sequel!
1. Based on a young adult novel? The target audience? American, African-American?, Asian American? The West Indies? Worldwide?
2. New York City, the Jamaicans and their house, the Koreans in the house, the shop? The streets, the car accident, subway rides, buildings and offices, cafes? The musical score?
3. The introduction to Tash, her family and the story, her voice-over comments, the personal hopes for staying in the New York, studies and achievement? Her family to be deported, the reasons? Her reaction, search, determined, the phone calls, wanting the interview, the sympathetic secretary, the lawyer and his help?
4. Daniel, the Korean background, his strict mother, Charley wanting to be an American, the shop, the issue of hair and the Korean development of the business? The strict father and his expectations of Daniel? Daniel going to the interview, the issue of his being a doctor, not, his wanting to be a poet?
5. Danny and his friend at Grand Central, watching Tash, Deus ex Machina on her jacket, the gazing at the roof? The chase, in the subway, getting off, the car accident, his saving her life, the discussions, the bond?
6. Tash, the quotations from Carl Sagan and others, her attitude towards science, the wonder of the universe, the sun as a star, her interest in gathering data, analysis of data, scientific ambitions?
7. The contrast with Daniel, the poet, the song, his feelings, the issue of falling in love, his experience, the questions for Tash?
8. Her problems, the hour, extending to the day, their talk, Tash and her meetings, the issue of love? The experience of affection?
9. Going to the shop, the hand, Charlie and his brash American style, the strict father, welcoming Tash? Their time together, the growing intimacy?
10. The next day, the lawyer, offering some hope, but then the deporting? Daniel and his interview? Tash gatecrashing?
11. Daniel visiting Tash’s home, she saying he was her guest? The farewell – and the four-minute gaze into each other’s eyes?
12. The passing of five years, losing touch, Tash coming to the US, to go to Berkeley, the moon, study? Her search for Daniel? The lawyer at the cafe?
13. Her going out the door, her hearing the poem about the sun? Their being together? A future? A young adult story, joy and tears?
