Thursday, November 11, 2010

For Colored Girls - Loved it! Still have some critiques, though.

No, this wasn't my theatre troupe.
It's one from Burbank, CA - but I bet they rocked!


As I dutifully noted on my Facebook profile,

My love is too THOROUGH to have thrown back in my face!!! Tyler Perry, you did something special. For Colored Girls - it's for girls of all colors, men, mothers, fathers, sisters, friends, boyfriends, husbands, healing, laughing, celebrating, and rejoicing. See this film, please.
 
I think it's our responsibility, though, to think about things we digest.  It's not complaining about the film at all - but I do want to exercise my critical mind.  If I could pick apart ideas of the film for conversation, it'd go like this:
 
  1. I didn't like how religion was represented.  I thought the few spots of humor were reserved for Whoopi's character, and I don't like that religion was the only source of laughter.  I also don't like how the god that Whoopi's character worshiped was unfamiliar.  I'm a staunch Christian, and my Hindu boyfriend noted that Mr. Perry had it this way as to not offend any particular religion.  I can dig it.
  2. I don't think Janet's character broke down enough.  A catharsis HAD to happen, and for me, her character was too porcelain, and remained that way.  Crying does not mean breaking.  I've broken, honey, and it ain't that cute!
  3. I don't think there's enough positive real life promotion of this movie and its themes.  I'm not in the US right now, so there might be some things going on that I don't know about.  BUT - I do know that when Sandra Bullock's movie came out (the one where her family adopted the black youth), they did a fantastic job of TODAY show interviews that made meaning out of the movie.  If Mr. Perry is going to put out dirty laundry (black men who rape, abuse, and are on the down-low), there HAS to be someone who is out there to speak on these issues in real life to elicit a call to action.
  4. I don't think enough older women were in the movie.  Phylicia, Whoopi, and Loretta did their thing, but there was a place for a really wise woman worn by the years.  The boyfriend thought it'd be Whoppi, but she turned out to be ja-crazy!
  5. I hate that they cut out the "I'm outside YOUR CITY" medley.  This made the choreopoem applicable to everyone in the audience, and made you want to move to the end of your own rainbow.  Why couldn't they just keep this?!?!?!!?
I'm gonna think about this sommore. 
Love, hugs, and good energy to all!
Allyson
 
 

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

I got friends in great places!!!


Ever have a ride or die kinda chick?  I think Nakia would be mine.  We've been friends for gosh....17, maybe 18 years? 

I remember when she pulled my 15 year old shyness to Kevin Brown (my first love, admiration, and absorption) at the park bench at the Island Rec Center....I was so timid that I ran away - and I ran HARD!!!!

I remember when she screamed with me as I hit the tree at the Burger King when I was 16 and dented the back rear door on my mom's Tracker.  Oh we wuz scurred!!!!

I remember when she healed me through my 20-something year old stupidity over LeJuano, and I laughed her through the blind date I tried to coordinate with her and Otis (that never happened, by the way!).

So my ride or die kinda chick wrote the sweetest post on my Facebook on the Friendship application (click the link if you come across it!) and totally made my day.  Thought I'd share it with the Wonderland...

ally? u mean my homegirl since grade school? u talkin bout the red girl w the wavy hair tht use to ride out in the tracker? that girl that use to stay up all night w me laughin abt the name Otis, & the blind date u tried to set me up on? the girl almost had me fightin in the club in charlotte, the chick tht has truly been my friend for as long as I can remember? yeah, I knw her, y wassup?

Search This Blog