Preachy, contrived, ludicrous, heavy-handed, self-serving

Rating: Null/10 (19 May 2006)

I don't like films that beat me over the head with a message and Crash uses a BIG HAMMER to continually beat you for 115 minutes with the message that racism is bad. Well, duh.
The script is contrived to the point of being ludicrous. You can spot what is going to happen way before it does. I've never seen so many coincidences in one film. This film has enough coincidences for 20 movies.
Hardly any of the characters in the film are less than totally despicable. They're all hateful. Matt Dillon's cop is not only a bigot but a sick bigot as well. When he pulls over a couple he needlessly frisks the woman in a manner that is actually an assault Yet the film has the audacity to excuse his behavior, and he is never punished for it, because of some lame explanation about how his father was run out of business because of affirmative action. Somehow the scriptwriter is saying that he's a bigot because of affirmative action and that is okay. What a bunch of hooey. The Persian store owner is also hateful, about as abusive as they come. I found myself wishing these clods would get what was coming to them.
I feel that the screenwriter has violated the well-known principle of "write what you know." This man has no idea of the characters he writes about and he has no idea what it's like to be a person of color. His attitude actually seems Uncle Tom'ish and very condescending.
I have nothing against the actors in the film, they were good. But what terrible lines they were given. I feel sorry for them.
I guess the movie folks in L.A. think they did something good by giving this film an Oscar, to somehow show they are not racists. But as a movie, I think if you compare this film to other Oscar winners you will see that it comes up way short.
I guess people have a fascination with accidents.