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(Image: Instagram/malcolmdlee)

Despite seeing a 12% downturn in box office tickets this summer, Girls Trip, a film celebrating black sisterhood, has earned $100 million. This makes the comedy the first movie with an African American cast, director, and writers to reach this benchmark. As a result, the film’s director, Malcolm D. Lee, has joined 11 other African American directors who’ve achieved such a landmark, domestically.

Back in 2013, Lee’s Best Man Holiday earned $30 million during its opening weekend but only $70 million in total domestic gross. Still, the director told BlackFilm.com that he remained confident that he would eventually reach the “century club.”

“I thought it would be possible at some point in my career. There was talk that it could have happened with Best Man Holiday and I loved our release date, but we were sandwiched between Thor: The Dark World and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in a very busy holiday season. I thought it could possibly happen there, but this is certainly the one that I thought could possibly happen. I’m grateful that the fans came out and supported it. They got me to the century club,” Lee said.

In honor of Lee’s milestone achievement, here’s a look at five other high-grossing movies directed by African American filmmakers.

The Fate of the Furious – Directed by F. Gary Gray 

Following its release in April, The Fate of the Furious earned a whopping $225 million in the U.S. in less than a week. The film, which was directed by F. Gary Gray, went on to gross $541 million around the world, making it the biggest worldwide film opening since 2002.

This is not the only film that Gray directed to tip over the $100 million mark. Straight Outta Compton (2015) raked in $161 million in a mere nine days while The Italian Job (2003) made $106.1 million over the course of a little more than three months.

Get Out – Directed by Jordan Peele

Jordan Peele’s socially conscious horror flick Get Out grossed $117 million in just 16 days, making Peele the first African American writer and director to earn over $100 million at the box office with a debut feature film. Just as impressive is the fact that the comedian-turned-filmmaker made the movie on a shoestring budget of $4.5 million. Altogether, Get Out grossed a total of $175 million, which is a hell of an ROI!

Stir Crazy – Directed by Sidney Poitier

Legendary filmmaker Sidney Poitier is the first black director to make a film that earned over $100 million following the release of Stir Crazy in 1980. The film was also the third-highest-grossing move that entire year.

Fantastic Four – Directed by Tim Story

Tim Story’s 2005 Fantastic Four was a commercial success that earned $154 million domestically in 10 days and a gross income of over $330 million around the world. Story also directed the sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), which made $131 million in the U.S.

Creed – Directed by Ryan Coogler

Ryan Coogler was only 29 years old when he released Creed in November 2015, a spin-off and sequel to the Rocky film franchise. The film earned $30.1 million in its opening weekend and ended up grossing $42.6 million within five days. Its earning tipped over the $100 million benchmark in 38 days.

Other black directors whose films topped $100M in the U.S. include Keenan Ivory Wayans for Scary Movie (2000), which grossed $157 million; John Singleton, whose 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) earned $127 million; and Clark Johnson for S.W.A.T (2003), which earned $116 million. (See a full list at BlackFilm.com.)

Despite these examples of high-earning films made by black directors, the amount of diversity in Hollywood remains scarce. According to a report published by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, only 10% of films were directed by a person of color. Diversity is profitable, but when will Hollywood get the picture?

The BBC has released a list of the “100 Greatest Comedies of All Time.” Of those 100 movies (101, actually, including one tie), only four are directed by women: Elaine May’s A New Leaf (#90), Vera Chytilová’s Daisies (#89), Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann (#59), and Amy Heckerling’s Clueless (#34). The list is also nearly 100% white. I wish this were surprising, but it’s nothing new in the world “Best Of” lists.

To the credit of the BBC, they didn’t make the decisions. Rather, they asked 253 film critics from 52 countries for their top ten lists. Obviously, comedy is subjective. But we also have to acknowledge that by and large, there is a collective unconscious bias toward valuing work by white men. Even beyond the institutional bias that allows them to dominate the film industry, work made by and about women tends to be diminished in the eyes of critics and audiences.

Interestingly, in a companion article, the BBC breaks down the differences between the lists of male and female critics. While they’re overall very similar, there’s a striking difference in what they dub “the Clueless effect.” They found that “there are a handful of films, just 14, where a critic’s gender does seem to matter. The poll data showed that nine films are reliably more popular with men and five with women.” Clueless, When Harry Met Sally, What We Do in the Shadows, The Great Dictator, and Mean Girls were all overwhelmingly more popular with female critics. The Nutty Professor, Playtime, Animal House, Groundhog Day, Sherlock Jr, Sons of the Desert, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Raising Arizona, and The General were all more popular with men. What moves those films from good to great in the eyes of a critic? What makes someone prefer Animal House to Clueless? Personal taste, sure. But we can’t pretend that things like representation and unconscious bias don’t play into that taste, or that “personal” taste isn’t largely influenced by larger cultural trends.

Again, comedy is incredibly subjective. So I’m not mad that my own favorites aren’t on the list. Well, besides the exclusion of Big, directed by Penny Marshall. That, objectively, is a travesty. But there are plenty of movies directed by women whose absence is surprising–plenty that deserve more celebration. On first look, I would happily swap out, say, There’s Something About Mary for A League of Their Own, or the South Park movie for Obvious Child, or maybe one of Woody Allen’s three spots for Monsoon Wedding.

But that’s just my own opinion. What would be on your list?

(image: Columbia Pictures)

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Season 2/ Episode 5/ HBO

*spoilers in the morning and the middle of the night*

Let’s get right into this… traffic ain’t shit, ain’t never been shit, ain’t never gonna be shit. Ain’t nothing like sitting in traffic so long that you start perusing IG or snappin’ ya nail game. When Issa had to stop for gas and hit the tank with the sacred Black $10 spot, I giggled. Gas gone be $4 a gallon in 45’s America and we still hitting that tank with a ten. Some things are universal and will never change. Forget the gas, tho.

Issa showed up on somebody’s porch about to catch that heat, why she playin’. Oh, but she is playin’…….with Daniel. Swear on salt and pepper on grits, I knew that was poppin’ off after last week. Issa might be building her roster, but ain’t nothing like some good familiar when you getting you hungry and single.

It’s good to see Molly in Chicago doing big things and racking up the mileage points on the company’s card. Especially when that includes being in a firm with some representation and getting to let her hair down with another Black colleague. He’s schooling her on getting out of a firm filled with white-walkers and getting to some place where she won’t just be fulfilling a quota. Lil Rel plays his part, too. I love seeing him all suited up and still throwing tiny quips. When he asked Molly to bring him some Roscoe’s, talking about he slim thick and got the body of a pastor. I was slain. They needed an organ cue on that.

I still can’t get past this The Chained and The Unchained slave soap. Was he talking about his man bush? Nah. Nope. I’mma turn my head and focus on the fact that Issa’s at Daniel’s crib and he sitting up in that bed looking like a chocolate Axe commercial. He asking Issa about her plans like he tryna be her man. Pulling her all close with his washboard stomach having ass. Bastdammit. I have to admit, whether these two are in a situationship or just chillin’, I like seeing Issa comfortable and in her own groove. Get that groove back, sis.

Looks like Lawrence tryna get back into some kind of groove the next day, too. He out running with the colleagues and training for a marathon while still dealing with that jury duty shit that got him to get that mail from Issa in the second episode of the season. Issa and Molly are working on the flower arrangements for Molly’s parents vow renewal while doing what they do best… talkin’ shit. Daniel textin’ Issa and she got a smile wider than this damn eclipse. Molly getting Issa to spill it and define wtf is going on with her and Daniel. Issa is staying true to not catching feelings and just doing her right now. I hope Daniel knows that, because he was looking mighty comfy with her if you ask me. He may be her FWB, but she betta make sure he’s down with that. Issa is truly feeling herself with this new heauxtation: Daniel (CheatBae or nah?), NeighborBae and potential LatinoBae who is looking like OldBae. I will never be mad at a good silver fox.

Lawrence is sitting in the waiting room for jury duty surrounded by wood paneling, looking like a mundane level of Dante’s Inferno, flipping through IG. Can we pause for a second and talk about Kelli’s crazy ass? Sweatergawd she is hil-fuccing-larious. Why is she eating the hottest peppers ever for the ‘gram? Lawrence was wincing at her pain until he started getting in his own feelings after seeing Issa in an eye gaze with Daniel in the back of another photo of Kelli’s. He mad, yo. His chest got all huffy as he stood up to go into that courtroom.

Lawrence about to be like Issa was with Tasha, putting puzzle pieces together tryna make some since outta shit. While he’s in his feelings, Issa is at work with all these pretentious, privileged do-gooders tryna build that rapport back up with Frieda and Frieda ain’t having it, honey.

That coffee break chat was intense and Frieda dropped some knowledge on how racism works, but Issa ain’t having it. Issa ain’t right with being okay with Principal Oil Slick purposefully shading the Latinx student population. After all the time they spent making zero progress in that school and Issa begging for another chance with it, she’s willing to take what she can get right now, but it’s at a mighty cost.

I hope this shit doesn’t blow up in her face. I also hope to never have such an intense conversation around my coffee. Caffeine is sacred, that could’ve waited until after she got some cream in her cup. Damn.

Instead of intense conversation over coffee, Molly and married dude are getting real over flowers in her parents’ driveway. Looks like these two have been friends for a minute. That friendship seems to be the thread that keeps them cool after such an awkward last encounter when he let Molly know his marriage was open and he was tryna get her open, too. Molly seems to respect the arrangement but throws a pass at it. She doesn’t see her life going that way.

Looks like someone was listening to Therapy Nana after all. Molly seems to have her feelings sorted out, while Lawrence is all up in his feelings sitting in a courtroom trolling Daniel on FB. That’s why they dismissed his ass. Too bad sista girl in the BLM tee didn’t just sit there looking complacent as hell, they’d have gotten rid of her. Judge Paw Paw wasn’t studdin’ her blazer pop in the least bit. Lawrence leaves and we see Molly’s sibs slide into the kitchen after her parents was damn near bumpin and grindin in front of her. Lol. I’mma be that kind of old lady, talking about “don’t start nothin’ you can’t finish.” Mama nasty.

Speaking of nasty. Issa out in the freakum dress meeting up with LatinBae/OldBae. He tryna grab martinis and she tryna grab them drawls. We hadn’t seen a good rap/soliloquy this ep, so that ‘easy on the chata, heavy on the whore’ scene had me dying. OldBae going in on his love for DC Comics on the first date? Issa might have to rethink this one or she’s going to find herself in her t-shirt and panties with this dude, eating dry ass pretzels and watching Batman vs. Superman.

Silver fox or nah, that ain’t worth it. Despite his love for DC, Issa is feeling him so much that she swerved Daniel and stayed for more than one drink. He seems to be feeling her, too. When that check came and Issa pulled the polite lean in and pause, he picked it up and told her to commit to the grab next time. Oooh? Chivalrous and speaking in future tense. I see you, OldBae.

At work the next day, Issa is on her heauxtation duty…checking in with Daniel after choosing different company the night before. She’s still trying to ease back in to Frieda’s good graces during their retreat exercise, but Frieda got that ice box where her heart used to be so….. Frieda shades Issa and pairs up with Patricia aka Dark & Lovely. I mean, she cute, but she grim as fuck. I just knew we were about to see some old school ABG behavior with Issa and Sujata Day’s character Sarah, but nah. Too bad. I miss me some Issa and CeCe.

Molly back at her folk’s crib getting ready for the big day with Lionel. She can’t even introduce dude right, don’t know his job title or nothing. He there to be a blocker between her and married dude. Why else? Jarrell ain’t buying it either. She didn’t even try to introduce Lionel until he gave her the good firm shoulder hug to claim her from Jarrell with the good hair. Lawrence out with Tiffany’s husband trying to piece this Issa-Daniel thing together and getting schooled on how fucking wack he was and how even though Issa wasn’t right to step out on him, he wasn’t no spring chicken, Roscoe’s Chicken or Popeye’s Chicken. Nah Lawrence, you was sitting on your ass for two years like some ole GMO KFC chicken, bruh. Takes a real one to call you out, homie.

Molly’s brother is a real one, because he sho’nuff called her out on settling for Lionel. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Sterling, but this brotha ain’t the one for Molly. He trying mad hard, too. The sibs are putting in work this episode, because Issa’s brother is getting her right, too. She is okay with leaving out all of the Latinx kiddos. All. She literally said all and she can’t handle the truth. NeighborBae hits her up while she’s mad and now she’s snappin’ for self care? That heauxtation stay spinnin’ Issa, but next time you tryna sext lock the door mama.

Oh, it looks like some shit is about to pop off. Molly’s aunties runnin’ they mouths at the renewal and Molly look shook. Issa driving and get that good DIstraction piC and it looks like that car is totaled. You can’t drive and text, boo. Especially if you stacking that heaux roster cause them nudes will come at you when you least expect it.

Molly figures out that her dad slipped up and cheated back in the day and throws and full fledged fit. She storms out with Lionel looking like he got caught in a wind storm and Jarrell taking the lead on calming her down. You can tell they’ve been friends forever, because he knows Molly’s a hot head and wasn’t about to let her drive off like that. Issa stuck with a tow truck and Daniel is coming to the rescue. Lawrence is drinking and FB trolling Issa. He either clicked on a new pic or unfriended her.

This last scene is on a spiral, yo. Jarrell tryna calm Molly and get her to be a realist, cause folks make mistakes and get through it. Daniel threw on a cape to save Issa and she felt the wind of commitment kick up and had to make sure they were both on the “non feelings” track of kickin’ it. Daniel look a little hurt, but he okay. Jarrell drove Molly home in her car, so he’s about to take a Lyft home (that’s a good brotha—

Did Molly just pull him in? I mean… she pulled him all [clap] the [clap] way [clap] in [clap]. MOLLY!!!

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