I went to see "The Heat" this weekend with my hubby and some friends. For two hours the f-bomb was dropped at least 200 times if not more. Normally I would have been greatly offended and perhaps even walked out and asked for a refund. But Melissa McCarthy had the entire audience howling so loud from the get-go that, believe it or not, some of those four-letter words were actually inaudible. Her character "Shannon Mullins" was a "take-no-shit" cop from the lower side of Boston. She interacted daily with the dregs of society whose words and actions seeped into her very being like the oxygen she breathed. Her choice of words were simply the result of who she was, where she was and what she did.
Her family was hardcore, foul-mouthed, beer-drinking Irishmen who pummeled her with profanities from the moment she walked through the door of her childhood home until she slammed that very same door shut after a heated argument about the arrest of a sibling. How could she throw her baby brother in jail? "Shannon," was for all practical purposes, dead to her family, and as far as she was concerned, she really didn't give a f........!
Sandra Bullock played the uptight, rule-abiding FBI agent, who because of circumstance ends up partnering with McCarthy. "Sarah Ashburn" was utterly shocked by the language, mannerisms, and outright disregard for department policy "Mullins" exhibited at every turn. No matter how much Bullock tried, her attempts to smooth McCarthy's rough edges repeatedly fell on deaf ears.
From only using the letter "F" when referring to that disgusting term at the beginning of the flick, "Ashburn" towards the end, vehemently spews the f-bomb in a wild tirade of curse words at the police big shots when her partner's character is being unmercifully assassinated. Her choice of words changed dramatically as the result of who she became, where she was and what she did. In the end, "Sarah" stated that "Shannon" was the best cop she had ever worked with and was proud to call her friend.
Despite what you might think, this is not a review of "The Heat." Whether or not you see this movie is of no matter to me. Although if you elect to bypass it, you'll be missing out on a "laugh-a-minute" "teachable moment" worthwhile story.
The f-bombs were used, not to disrespect or shock, but to portray a realistic picture of the life lead by the people who use such language the way we use "OMG" "CRAP" or "DAMN." These words are much more acceptable to us because these are the ones said by our families, in our neighborhoods, at our workplaces, etc. By interacting with decent, hard-working, church-going folks, their words and actions seep into our very being like the oxygen we breathe. Our choice of words are the result of who we are, where we come from and what we do.
Lastly, a few words on the Paula Dean, "N" word fiasco. "OMG", Paula was born and raised in the South! "CRAP", she said the "N" word twenty some years ago! And, "Damn" smearing her reputation and possibly ruining her entire career just isn't enough punishment for such abhorrent behavior!
Come on, people, let's open our minds and our hearts to the realities of life for each and every one of us. None of our realities are the same. None of us speak and act the same. Try to understand that.
We could all learn that very valuable lesson from "The Heat" in theaters now!
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