The exterior shots and outdoor scenes were shot on the campus of [[University of California, Los Angeles]] (UCLA) while the interiors were shot at [[Sony Pictures Studios]].
==Plot==
Columbus University freshmen Kristen Connor, a friendly but naïve white woman from [[Orange County, California]], and Malik Williams, a black high-school track star on an athletic scholarship, attend a dorm party hosted by Fudge White, a senior and militant Afrocentric activist who has been attending the university for six years. Fudge's roommate Remy, a quiet white man from [[Boise, Idaho]] and fellow freshman, contacts the campus police to break up the party due to the loud rap music which is interfering with his studying. Fudge argues that the police unfairly target black students while ignoring white students playing loud "[[country music|hillbilly" music]].
Kristen meets Taryn, an openly lesbian junior, who warns her about walking alone at night and invites her to join a student group. Meanwhile, Malik and Kristen both take a political science class taught by Professor Maurice Phipps, a conservative black man from the West Indies who challenges his students to determine their own identities instead of letting others categorize them.
A turning point occurs when a frat boy named Billy rapes Kristen, ignoring her refusal to have sex without a condom. Monet, Kristen's roommate, discovers her crying and receives a racially offensive call from Billy; she then decides to seek help from Fudge, who recruits his friends to confront Billy at a frat party. Kristen points out Billy to the black students, who force him to apologize to Monet for racially insulting her during his phone call, but they don't know that he sexually assaulted Kristen. Shortly afterwards, Kristen joins Taryn's student group and confides in her about the rape. Taryn encourages Kristen to report the crime while they grow closer and start developing romantic feelings for each other. Eventually, Kristen decides to continue a relationship with Wayne, a college student and friend of Malik she was already dating before meeting Taryn.
When Remy complains about Fudge's habit of constantly disrupting his studies with loud music, Fudge mockingly threatens him, leading Remy to move out and get a new Jewish roommate named David Isaacs. Remy's frustration grows when Malik mocks him after winning a video game. Shortly afterwards, feeling increasingly isolated from his peers at the University, Remy befriends a group of [[White supremacy|white supremacists/neonazis]] led by Scott Moss, who live close to the Campus; he is influenced by their racist beliefs and eventually joins their ranks.
After Malik confronts Professor Phipps over a poor grade on a paper and accuses him of selling out to the white establishment, Phipps shows him the various spelling and grammar errors and emphasizes the importance of taking personal responsibility and working hard to make a difference, explaining to Malik his perspective that black people have to work twice as hard to achieve the same social status as white people. Afterwards, Malik improves his writing skills with the help of his girlfriend, fellow track athlete Deja, and learns valuable lessons about self-improvement.
Remy's hatred and racism escalate as he pulls a gun on Malik and David, using racial slurs. He eventually drops out of the university. Encouraged by his neonazi friends, Remy, armed with a [[sniper rifle]], opens fire from a rooftop during a peace festival organized by Kristen and Monet. Deja is killed, and Malik tries to avenge her death by strangling him, but campus police restrain and violently beat him. After apologizing for his actions, Remy then commits suicide by shooting himself in the head in front of campus police.
In the aftermath, Malik discusses his future with Professor Phipps, explaining that he feels discouraged and unsure about continuing his studies after all that has happened. Phipps expresses trust in Malik's judgment. Malik and Kristen, who have had minimal interaction with each other, have a conversation near a converted [[Christopher Columbus]] statue, reflecting on the recent events. While Kristen believes the shooting was her fault for organizing the peace festival, Malik reassures her that she is not to blame, and that it was the right thing to do at the time, before walking away from the campus, leaving his fate at the university undisclosed.
The film concludes with Fudge, Taryn, and others graduating from Columbus University. The closing shot features Professor Phipps walking beneath the American flag, with the caption "Unlearn" superimposed over it.
==Cast== |