‘Shortcomings’ Stars Say Their ‘Simple’ and ‘Grounded’ Film Spotlights Flawed Characters Who ‘Just Happen to Be Asian’ (Video)

Sundance 2023: Sherry Cola declares film “showcase these people that we’ve never seen on the screen”

A push toward onscreen inclusivity, for reasons both artistic and commercial, can be summed up in two films released in early 2018. Walt Disney’s “Black Panther” featured mostly Black actors and Black characters. Universal’s “Pacific Rim: Uprising” featured a protagonist who just happened to be played by an actor who looked more like John Boyega than Charlie Hunnam.

Both serve the worthwhile end-game of more varied onscreen representation. Randall Park’s directorial debut, “Shortcomings,” is explicitly a character comedy about Asian American characters that isn’t entirely or just about being Asian American.

Penned by Adrian Tomine and based on his 2007 graphic novel, “Shortcomings” focuses on young AAPI protagonists who are flawed, complex, messy and still figuring things out.

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