Regina Hall: I think right now that we are in a really polarized time. I agree with Ced, too. I think that there are a lot of amazing things going on, but there are so many socioeconomic and spiritual deficiencies. When I say that I mean our connection to humanity, to one another, to the planet. We are not connected to the truth of what we are. Our value system is a little bit skewed, but it’s okay because we’ve introduced new technology and people are able to see something, someone amazing and the desire for that unfortunately turns to envy so I think people are angry. They are looking for someone to blame. It’s time for individuals to take responsibility. I think it’s a great opportunity for leadership. I think it’s a great opportunity for someone to come and offer some sort of guidance and that’s where I think parents and neighbors come in. There was a responsibility factor from one person to another and a community helped with everyone. There is a lot of work, but there are a lot of great things, too. There are amazing men, and there are men who need to be more amazing, of all races and ages. Right now everyone’s angry.
IC: America’s a façade. Everything is a façade. Everybody is faking the funk about something. We need to tear down the walls and keep it real. Awards are nice, but that’s it. There’s nothing else. I don’t think any of us do what we do for an award. We like to entertain, to make people think, feel and react. Give our creative juices a physical form. We are all into that. Awards are like trying to hit a home run. You can’t get up there like, “I’m going to hit a home run.” You either hit it good or not. The same is true with a movie, it’s either good or it sucks. If it’s good, then the people will let you know. I’ve seen them give awards to movies that suck… [Laughs]
SB: Which ones? I’m kidding. [Laughs]
IC: You know I’ve got to play by the rules... [Laughs]. You can’t get your energy from a trophy. You have to get your energy from the people coming up to you, telling you how much they love your work, that movie. I watch it every day. That’s the stuff that gets me going. It’s how people feel about what I did. That’s my award.
RH: I want to add this. I agree completely, and I think that Barbershop is an amazing film. There are certain films that you know are going to get awards. There are award caliber movies. I don’t think that we get enough opportunities to make those kinds of movies necessarily. So, when we have films like Straight Outta Compton, an amazing film on so many levels, and it doesn’t get an award, that is what is disappointing and that is what actually feels hurtful to all of us. No one sets out to do a film like that to get an award because if that’s your goal, it’s just not going to happen. Instead, you set out to tell an amazing story. When it’s done well on every level, like hitting a home run out of the park, and you still don’t call it a home run?
SB: You feel cheated…
- Advertisement -RH: ….that’s when you feel cheated. You know what I mean? It’s never for the award, but you certainly feel like but the ball is out of the park. Then you see another ball, in the park, in the mitt, it’s not a good movie and they’re like it’s a home run. Wait, that’s a home run? So you wonder, what’s a home run then? It is never the sole intention, but boy if the opportunity is there, and it’s so deserving. It’s really disappointing when it doesn’t happen.
SB: Absolutely.
- Advertisement -IC: Just to add to that. What I was really saying is, taking Regina’s analogy, the people see the ball out the park.
RH: They do.
- Advertisement -IC: In their hearts, they know it’s a home run. That right there is good enough for me. I don’t need “the man” to write home run down for me to feel proud. It would be cool, it would be nice, but that’s it. I never let anybody outside of the people I respect define what I do. There is a lot of work to be done. If they don’t do the work, we are all still going to be fine.
