‘Shortcomings’ Skewers the Idea of Loving Movies Just Because of ‘Representation or Whatever’

Randall Park is known for his roles in the television series Fresh Off the Boat and WandaVision, and movies like Always Be My Maybe. Now he’s making his feature film directorial debut with Shortcomings, which hits theaters August 4.

Shortcomings centers around a filmmaker, Ben (Justin H. Min), whose girlfriend Miko (Ally Maki) moves from Los Angeles, where she works for an Asian American Film Festival, to New York for an internship. With Miko gone, Ben has to really think about what he wants from his life and his art.

In this exclusive clip for The Daily Beast’s Obsessed, Ben and Ally argue about his reaction to a film that one might think he would be excited about, just because it included Asian American representation. Or, as he calls it, “representation or whatever.”

“In this scene, adapted from Adrian Tomine's graphic novel, Ben and Miko argue over the merits and symbolic importance of a movie they just watched,” producer Hieu Ho tells The Daily Beast’s Obsessed. “Within Hollywood's cinematic history, from the early 1920s to present day, there's been relatively few multi-dimensional portrayals of Asian Americans. In our story, in highlighting their difference of opinions, their personal vulnerabilities and aspirations, the goal is to be truthful to these specific characters as opposed to an entire community of people. And in doing so, perhaps we can begin to connect with each other's shared humanity, however flawed or misguided. Or at least laugh about it.”

Shortcomings debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, where critics responded to how the film plays with Park’s on-screen persona. “Shortcomings is an amiable comedy about an asshole, as directed by someone who has built an on-screen reputation of being a nice guy,” Nick Allen wrote at RogerEbert.com.

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