Moonlight is a 2016 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins, based on Tarell Alvin McCraney's unpublished semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.

Who wrote the book Moonlight?

Tarell Alvin McCraney at a "Moonlight" premiere in October 2016 in Miami Beach, Fla. (Aaron Davidson/Getty Images for A24) This article is more than 4 years old.

How much of Moonlight is true?

Though Moonlight is not a true story, Jenkins and McCraney share some experiences with their characters and with each other. According to The Chicago Tribune, the filmmaker and the playwright grew up in same Miami neighborhood and even went to the same schools, though they'd never met as children.

Did Kevin and Chiron end up together?

The two continue their conversation. Kevin tells Chiron that he's happy with his current life because it doesn't stress him out too much. Chiron, on the other hand, tells Kevin that he's been single all these years. The story ends with Chiron in Kevin's arms, looking back at his past self as Little.

Why does Kevin Call Chiron black?

“That's my nickname for you,” Kevin tells Chiron when asked about the name. In giving Chiron the name Black, Kevin lifts up another aspect of Chiron's identity. It's also something that links them, emphasising bonds rather than something that sets Chiron apart as a target.

MOONLIGHT screenplay book flip-through

17 related questions found

What happened to Juan on Moonlight?

Throughout the rest of the film, it is only explained through dialogue that Juan has died. The audience is left to assume that Juan has been crucified by the inevitable, doomed life of any long time drug-dealer. Either way, Juan had gone much too soon in Chiron's story.

Why did Kevin go to jail in moonlight?

The following day, Chiron reaches his breaking point and eventually gets his revenge on Terell by smashing him over the head with a chair, which in turn gets him arrested for assault and sent to juvenile hall. As the police take him away, he glares at Kevin for his betrayal.

Who beats up Chiron in moonlight?

Chiron still sticks his face in cold water, akin to the day when Kevin beat him up. Speaking of Kevin, there are two aspects of his importance that have followed Chiron to Atlanta.

Is Kevin in love with Chiron?

Kevin is the love interest of Chiron. We see Chiron looking at him suggestively when he's a child, as if he has a crush on him; we see the two kiss and have a sexual encounter when they're teenagers; we see Chiron have a wet dream about Kevin, and wake up with a stain on his underwear.

Is Moonlight a love story?

Moonlight, Barry Jenkins' Oscar-winning drama, is as much a romance as it is a coming-of-age story. Told in three chapters, it's the tale of one withdrawn boy with three names—Little, Chiron, and Black—coming to terms with himself at different points in his life. ... But through it all, Chiron is drawn to his friend Kevin.

Who is the bully in moonlight?

A nation watched in disbelief as the Moonlight team cautiously took the stage at the Academy Awards. But Patrick Decile, the 20-year-old Miami native who played Terrel, the film's brutal antagonist, was not among them. He was watching live on his laptop from Los Angeles International Airport. It's a long story.

Is the movie Moonlight sad?

Even in the film's uplifting moments, it is depressing that everyone in Chiron's life is either dead or living under some form of state surveillance. Jenkins deals with this deftly, without being heavy-handed or dismissive, and makes the characters no less worthy of our support.

Why is it called Moonlight?

Moonlight is essentially the most significant symbol of the film. It is mentioned by characters in the film and frequently repeated throughout the movie. The idea of moonlight was first brought out by Juan when he tells Little a story of himself at his childhood. ... Hence the movie itself is named after the moonlight.

Was Moonlight a book first?

Moonlight is a 2016 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins, based on Tarell Alvin McCraney's unpublished semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue.

What does Black Boys look blue in the moonlight?

In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue – A poetry performance in response to the film Moonlight. Moonlight is a coming-of-age story in three acts, chronicling the life of a young man, Chiron, from childhood to adulthood, in a rough Miami neighbourhood across the late 80's and early 90's.

Who wrote in moonlight black boys look blue?

5 The Film Is Based On An Unproduced Play

In 2003, after playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney's mother died from AIDS, he wrote a semi-autobiographical play called In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue to deal with the grief.

What did the mother say in moonlight?

We find out later that she is yelling “don't look at me”. This confirms Paula's anxiety over being looked at, judged, and criticized. It also proves that Paula is more conscious of her harmful actions than we think she is. She places meaning on Chiron's gaze because she knows she has reason to be ashamed.

What is Chirons attachment style in moonlight?

Chiron doesn't quite have what he needs – he survives, but he never thrives. And by the time he meets Juan and Teresa, he is unable to attach to them even though it is clear he would like to. In diagnostic terms, you could say he has what's known as Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD).

What kind of relationship does Chiron have with Juan?

It does show that they are not linked the same way that Chiron and Juan were. They do not have a closeness in their relationship that requires contact. Instead, their relationship is defined by respect. However, the relationship does not transcend to form an intimate relationship.

How old is teenage Chiron in moonlight?

Labelled as "soft" for the way he walks, the sensitive nine-year-old boy, Chiron, or Little, is an easy target in 1980s Miami.

What does the ocean mean in moonlight?

Here, the duality of water feels clear: It represents both freedom and danger. Chiron is discovering who he is, while realizing also what that means; this is rendered most clearly in the final shot of the movie, which flashes back to Little staring out at the ocean, simultaneously drawn to it and afraid of its power.

What is Chiron's pseudonym in the third part of the film?

Chiron is exposed to intimate experiences which neither affirm nor disprove his sense of identity and/or sexuality. He learns quickly that trusting relationships can, and indeed do, lead to betrayal. In the third part he is a man with a different nickname, Black (Trevante Rhodes).

Why was Chiron bullied moonlight?

A friend named Kevin tells Chiron that he gets bullied because he's soft. There's no real context for that word though. It could mean that he doesn't like sports. Kevin's use of “soft” proceeds a makeshift soccer game from which Chiron walks away, but soft could just mean that Chiron is quiet and shy.

Where in Miami was moonlight filmed?

Liberty City is located in the northwest stretches of Greater Miami and serves as the backdrop of Moonlight.

What was the point of moonlight?

Moonlight depicts a journey of self-discovery and a queer love story which actually feels probable and tangible. The film depicts Kevin, Chiron's childhood friend and eventual romantic interest, as the typical hypermasculine “player”, just to show him being kind and sensitive later on when it comes to Chiron.