Zahra Gordon

Halle Berry’s feature film Frankie & Alice will be in theaters this spring. The film, in which Berry plays a go-go dancer with multiple personality disorder, is finally being distributed after nearly three years. There has been speculation that the film is now being released because other “black” movies have been successful at the box office making Hollywood more comfortable with backing minority leads. Berry’s character, Frankie, is black, but one of her personalities is a white supremacist named Alice.
I’m not sure why there needs to be speculation about whether or not Hollywood was hesitant to back this film, however. Most of the blogs/coverage I’ve read about the new release date are asking questions, but for me there are none.

What were the red flags for Frankie & Alice? Was it the portrayal of mental illness which many have termed a touchy subject, or was it the perceived racial implications of a top black actress battling with a white supremacist inside her head? We may never know. 

I haven’t seen Frankie & Alice (although I plan to see it), but I would bet money (any takers?) that the film delves a little too deeply and honestly into the cause and effects of racism in America. And of course, this was the reason, among others, that Hollywood dropped the ball on distribution. Now, Berry did receive a Golden Globe nomination for her role in this film, but when the film had it’s first theater run, Berry and her team were seeking Oscar qualification.
The “black” films that have had reportedly saved Berry’s day with their recent success have been majorly comedies – The Best Man Holiday, Kevin Hart’s Let Me Explain and About Last Night – or “post racial race” films like The Butler and 42. Neither the comedies nor the “race” films have pushed boundaries in the conversation on race. In fact the comedies mainly reinforce stereotypes of black people and the “race” films essentially white wash history. I say this for The Butler and 42, which are movies I’ve seen. I can’t say anything about 12 Years A Slave because I am yet to see it.
Maybe Berry’s Golden Globe nod is an indication that she gave this role a level of depth and was able to bring across the haunting realities of intersections of racism and emotional/mental well being. Maybe. It’s also interesting to note that Berry also served as the producer for Frankie & Alice. This was a film that she had a vested interest in and had been working on getting it made since the 90s it seems. It wasn’t easy getting this through the door in the way it was for Monster’s Ball.