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by Erikka Innes
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is one of the most hilarious, unusual stoner comedies around. True to the genre, the film revolves around two frequently stoned best friends, and provides plenty of side-splittingly funny pot jokes and lowbrow humor. But what makes this film a real stand-out, aside from the zany appearance of Neil Patrick Harris, is the two leads, and the film?s underlying message about how difficult it is for some white Americans to accept the notion that you don?t have to be white to be American.
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is notable for its choice of leads, an Indian and a Korean American. It?s one of a handful of movies that proves we don?t always have to have a white American lead in a film for it to be a success. More interesting than the choice of leads is the way the two characters are portrayed. For the most part, Harold and Kumar are characters that steer clear of stereotypes, with a few exceptions that end up being positive. For example, both characters are well educated overachievers. Harold Lee (played by John Cho) is an investment banker, and Kumar Patel (played by Kal Penn) has the potential to be a brilliant doctor, if he ever decides to go to medical school.
However, while it may be stereotypical to depict an Asian American or an Indian American as a highly educated overachiever, the movie avoids a number of negative stereotypes often associated with Asian and Indian Americans. For example, neither character is presented as being uncool or inept with women because of his overachieving ways. In fact, in one scene Kumar is able to use his talent for mathematics to successfully hit on a girl. And when one scene calls for Harold to punch out a guy who?s being a jerk, there is not one kung fu joke. Instead, Harold punches the guy the way you?d expect anyone would.
It?s nice to see that we have come far enough that we can have realistic, fully developed Asian and Indian American characters in movies that don?t fall back heavily on stereotypes associated with these heritages. However, one of the movie?s key points is we?re not out of the woods yet. While Harold and Kumar make it clear throughout the movie that they are American, many of the white characters in the film aren?t so sure. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
One way whites in the film resist the notion that Harold and Kumar can be Americans is by repeatedly miscategorizing them. A running joke in the film is that no matter where Harold and Kumar go, someone inaccurately guesses where they?re from. At the start of the movie on a plane, Kumar is mistaken for a Middle Eastern terrorist. Later, when Harold and Kumar are caught by the Ku Klux Klan, they?re mistaken for Mexicans. Any attempts to protest the miscategorization are ignored. In one scene where Harold and Kumar have been brought in for questioning by the government, Harold exclaims ?We?re Americans man! We love America!? Even with crime and drug free records, and information stating their birth places as being within the United States, their interrogator, Ron Fox refuses to acknowledge them as Americans. Instead he says ?North Korea and Al Qaeda working together. This is bigger than I thought.?
An inability to see past color is another recurring theme in the film. Ron Fox not only fails to understand that Harold and Kumar are Americans, but he also fails to recognize Harold?s parents as American citizens, and consistently assumes negative stereotypes about any people he encounters who are in any way different from him. When Fox interviews some Jewish acquaintances of Harold and Kumar, he tries to convince them to talk by placing shiny coins on the table. In another scene, he attempts to determine if a black man is telling the truth by pouring out a can of grape soda. While the film manages to keep most of the jokes light hearted, it is disturbing to see how crazy everything gets for Harold and Kumar because of the prejudiced thinking of those around them.
When the film draws to a close, all of Harold and Kumar?s troubles sort out, and they of course, end up with their dream women. The expected story arc for a stoner comedy comes to an end. However as an audience member you are still left thinking about everything the film has to say about being American. On the one hand, the film makes it clear that anyone born in America, or who has become a citizen is an American, but on the other hand, it points out that there are still a lot of people who have trouble embracing this idea.
Looking for more work from Erikka? Check out the companion piece, Love: It Really, Really Hurts.
