There is a lot of buzz on the net that “the whitest girl in the world” is playing a black character, but that’s by people who apparently have not seen the film, which is a fiction based on a true story. Having seen the film, I don’t know what “race” Brandi is, for there is no background given for her character — or any other. No families are mentioned, no back story other than what is provided for the narractive, and Brandi could be anything. Mena certainly does not look like her blonde visage from earlier in her career, and she gives a fantastically real performance. I think all this racial stuff on the blogs is misdirected and unfair. The film makers have the right to tell the story however they want, and there are many races in the film, not just black and white (the neighbors are Hispanic, etc.). See the film for yourself, and make up your own mind.

I am proud to be a Mena Suvari fan now that she has finally done something which stands apart from anything else in her career. I hope this is just the beginning of great roles for our beautiful favorite.