I’ll tell you what sparked this one: a discussion I saw on Facebook. People were going back and forth about a scene from Malcolm X — the Spike Lee joint starring Denzel Washington. The debate? Whether Malcolm gave West Indian Archie the correct numbers when he was playing the numbers game.
Now, here’s the problem: a whole lot of folks were quoting the movie as if it were fact. They swore that Denzel (and yes, I said Denzel, not Malcolm) had the right numbers and that Archie messed up. Why? Because Spike Lee portrayed it that way.
But if you read Malcolm’s autobiography (Chapter 8), Archie accuses Malcolm of collecting a bet he didn’t place (or at least that Archie thinks Malcolm didn’t place); Malcolm doesn’t immediately refute the allegation and feels his reputation is at stake. He and West Indian Archie weren’t friends, not even colleagues. Malcolm and Archie had a client relationship. That’s a far cry from the dramatic friendship/betrayal Hollywood put on the screen.
This is why I say: get the facts, not the movie.
Movies vs. Books: The Ten Commandments Effect
It’s like The Ten Commandments, Cecil B. DeMille’s epic with Charlton Heston. Beautiful, dramatic, unforgettable. But ask most people who only saw the film, and they’ll tell you every event in there was biblical truth. It wasn’t. It was cinematic storytelling.
And that’s fine — movies are magic. They’re built to entertain. But if you want to have a real discussion about history, culture, or faith? You can’t stop at the big screen. You’ve got to crack open the book.
What Books Give That Movies Can’t
Books are worlds. They let you into the character’s mind, their motives, their struggles. They paint the full picture that two hours on film never can.
- In Star Wars novels, you see Anakin battling the dark side long before the duel. His inner thoughts, the fear of Obi-Wan catching on, and the way he picks fights (like with Count Dooku) to cover his tracks — all things you’d never know just from watching the movies.
- In The Godfather novel, Luca Brasi isn’t just a side note. He’s feared, respected, and critical to Don Corleone’s power. Sonny Corleone’s mistress, Lucy Mancini? Her story doesn’t end at Sonny’s death — her journey carries weight in the book, showing ripple effects the movie never touches.
- Even in Roots, Alex Haley takes 33 chapters (1/5th of the book) to immerse us in Kunta Kinte’s world before the capture. The land. The famine. The rituals with his father and little brother. The slow, painful shaping of manhood. None of that can be squeezed into a miniseries.
See the difference?
What Movies Do Give
Don’t get me wrong — movies bring their own brilliance:
- Acting that makes characters breathe.
- Cinematography that’s a feast for the eyes.
- Scores and soundtracks that grab your heart.
- Humor in the right places, special effects that leave you wide-eyed, and pacing that pulls you through the story.
I love movies. Always have. But a movie is, at best, the CliffsNotes version. The dramatized remix. The highlight reel.
The Point: Stop Embarrassing Yourself
If you’re going to argue, debate, or even just discuss something heavy — know your stuff. Too many people jump into conversations armed with what they saw in a film and end up looking foolish when someone who actually read the book, studied the history, or lived the experience checks them.
Say “in the movie, this is what happened.” That’s fine. But don’t confuse it with fact. Don’t make the mistake of treating Hollywood’s version as the gospel truth.
Read. Breathe. Research.
The Malcolm X discussion isn’t the only one. It happens all the time. People watch a movie and walk away thinking they’ve got the facts. Then they get embarrassed because they never bothered to pick up a book.
So here’s my challenge:
- Don’t just lean on the CliffsNotes.
- Don’t just memorize the script.
- Read. Research. Know what you’re talking about.
Movies are great. Books will change your world.
What about you? Ever been in a discussion where someone confused a movie for reality? Drop your story in the comments — and don’t sign up at the bottom to receive email notifications of future posts from Kenny’s Camera, Cooking & Crazy Confessions at ZootsBlogSpot.
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