American Pastime (2007)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Desmond Nakano

Writers (WGA):

Desmond Nakano (screenplay) &
Tony Kayden (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 May 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Cast

Aaron Yoo	...	Lyle Nomura
Olesya Rulin	...	Cathy Reyes
Carlton Bluford	...	Lester Johnson
Sami Roe	...	Jimmy Gorney
Masatoshi Nakamura	...	Kaz Nomura
Leonardo Nam	...	Lane Nomura
Judy Ongg	...	Emi Nomura
Gary Cole	...	Billy Burrell
Charles Halford	...	Corporal Norris
Big Budah	...	Bambino Hirose (as Leroy 'Big Buddha' Teo)
Kerry Yo Nakagawa	...	Jumbo Tanaka
Junko Yamamoto	...	Junko Tanaka
Kale Nakagawa	...	Kale Takeshita
Tod Huntington	...	Corporal Mack
Jeff Herr	...	Director Watson

Runtime:

USA:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Copperton, Utah, USA

Company:

American Pastime

Soundtrack:

At The Dance

A heartfelt and uplifting account of a shameful time in American history

I saw "American Pastime" on Saturday, and my only disappointment with the evening, was the meager size of the audience. There were only a handful of people in the theater. This film deserves a wide audience, hence my score and this high and enthusiastic endorsement.

I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about the Japanese-American internment during WWII. My father and uncle were imprisoned at Mathausen in the European side of WWII. Despite my previous exposure and direct family experience, this film was still a revelation. My previous knowledge of the Japanese-American WWII experience was based mostly on plays, documentaries, and reading. Watching documentaries, particularly with interviews of camp survivors, is always very moving and heartrending. Although a dramatic fictionalized film, seeing the daily indignities and humiliations endured by the Japanese-Americans gave me even a deeper understanding of their experience.

Let anyone reading this conclude that the film is a "downer," rest assured that despite the subject matter, it is ultimately a life-affirming, spiritually uplifting film, and ironically, entertaining. The director and screenwriter have created a compelling story, which illuminates an egregious breach of justice in US history. Yet the story is very engaging, as are the talented cast of characters. The screenplay is evenhanded and compassionate, including the point of view of the guards and townspeople near the camp. Go see it. You will learn something, while being uplifted and entertained.