Jeremy Pope is known for his work on Broadway stages in New York, but makes his feature film premiere with The Inspection.
Jeremy Pope has been a leading man on Broadway stages and isn’t afraid to be vulnerable about his identity as an openly queer black man. Pope makes his feature film debut in The inspectionstarring opposite Gabriel Union and Raul Castillo. Pope told the New York Times, “I feel so blessed to be able to do this completely in my blackness and in my strangeness.”
The inspection was released in cinemas last weekend. The protagonist in the center is a black man in the military who faces homophobia from his peers. He also lacks the support of his mother, played by Union. Pope identifies with the struggle to find acceptance; he tells the New York Times that only recently he was afraid to be open about his identity. Pope feared rejection or ineligibility for a job. However, he says the film was helpful for his own healing process for “things I hadn’t dealt with, things that had rubbed me the wrong way for years and I pushed aside.”
The film follows the struggles many queer people of color face in relation to familial and societal acceptance. Pope’s character, Ellis, is kicked out by his mother when he is 16. Gabrielle Union plays Ellis’ mother, who is deeply conservative and anti-gay. Ellis is homeless on the streets for nearly a decade before joining the military, where he is targeted and evicted by his fellow recruits during a military shower. Castillo plays a sympathetic drill sergeant for whom Ellis develops feelings.
In the end, Ellis finds the strength to persevere and embrace his identity despite his struggles. His character also finds a job making movies for the military, reflecting the director’s real-life transition from recruit to filmmaker.
The inspection is Elegance Bratton’s first feature film
The Inspectorate script is semi-autobiographical and based on the life experiences of the director, Elegance Bratton. Bratton served in the military as a strange black man in the early years when the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was still in full swing. That policy was eventually overturned and scrapped in 2011.
Elegance Bratton makes his feature film directing debut in his A24 drama, The inspection. His previous post-military work includes short films, a reality TV show, and a documentary. The documentary of 2019 pier kids follows the lives of queer and trans homeless teens of color in New York City. from Braton The inspection is currently showing in theaters across the US