Michael Rapaport in Higher Learning.

Higher Learning, written and directed by John Singleton, is a heavy-handed look at racism on a college campus in the mid-90s.  The performances by several well known names are good and at times it's interesting enough, but the running-time is far too long and by focusing so heavily on race and gender it reduces every character to a single trait.

Kristy Swanson as Kristen, Omar Epps as Malik and Michael Rapaport as Remy, are all freshman at Columbus University.  Kristen is from Orange County, and she grew up near Disneyland.  Malik is there on a Track scholarship.  Remy is from Idaho and he has trouble making friends.

Almost immediately there are racial tensions on campus. 

Remy is rooming with a couple of black guys and they clash, although in reality their conflict has less to do about race and more to do with his roommates being incredibly inconsiderate; playing music loudly and holding parties in their dorm room.  Things get escalated when Remy calls campus security and they shut one of his roommate's parties down, but let a white party down the hall keep going.

Malik falls in with Fudge (Ice Cube), who soon convinces Malik that the mere fact that Malik is at school on a scholarship is somehow racist.  "Run, nigger, run" he tells Malik, who quickly starts to believe him.

Meanwhile, a confused and lonely Remy eventually ends up making friends with some Nazi skinheads.  Malik and Remy have several run-ins and Fudge's group and the skinheads seem headed for a major confrontation.

Kristen's story involves her being date-raped, which leads to a small flirtation with lesbianism when she almost has an affair with Taryn (played by Jennifer Connelly in an incredibly small part).  Her connection to the racism storyline involves her becoming friends with her black roommate (Regina King).

In general the women are shown as more reasonable than the men.  Kristen and her roommate get along.  Malik's girlfriend (Tyra Banks) is pragmatic.  She sees racism too, but knows that the best way for her to survive and move past it is to graduate and make something of herself and not sit around blaming everyone else for her problems.

Although the message of this movie is about racism, it would have been bettered served if it had been more subtle about it and focused on other things as well.  By constantly harping on about race it only reduces the characters from full-rounded individuals to being either just black, just white, or just a woman.

The movie also runs on far too long.  Kristen's story should have been cut completely or made the entire focus of the film.  Reportedly, a good portion of it was left on the cutting room floor.  She barely appears in the last half and her relationshop with Taryn is never resolved, Connelly just disappears.  Removing Kristen would have reduced the running-time by at least twenty minutes.

Too often Hollywood movies seem afraid to offend anyone and so they play it safe by staying away from hot button issues.  You have to give credit to Singleton for at least broaching several sensitive subjects here.  It just would have been nice if he could have handled it a little more deftly instead of slamming it all in with a sledgehammer.

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