Let Film Find Its Own Level

Regarding “Good Movies Go Beyond Race” by Kevin Ross (Counterpunch, Dec. 16), does this mean that if a white person chooses not to see “The Preacher’s Wife,” that makes him a latent racist? The wording of the article seems to imply this. What about Hispanics, Koreans, Japanese and a host of other groups? If they don’t flock to see this film, are they continuing to fuel the fires of racism as well?

To put the success or failure in such black-and-white terms is a simplistic fallacy at best and out-and-out racism at worst. Could it be that if “The Preacher’s Wife” fails at the box office, it was because it was a “bad” film? If someone doesn’t care to see “Mars Attacks!,” does that make them insensitive to aliens and Earthocentric?

Disney and Mr. Ross would do the moviegoing public a much greater service by allowing the film to seek its own level rather than setting up an us-against-them scenario.

JOHN ZAVESKY

Los Angeles