certain movies pull on every heart string of mine. fried green tomatoes, a league of their own, a time to kill, steel magnolias... now i would like to add the color purple. i remember attempting to read alice walker's epistolary novel when i was in junior high and quitting. too heartbreaking and too racy to keep turning the pages.
but the movie...
little nettie and celie steal my heart instantly. two dear, dear sisters whose bond can not be broken, even when danny glover's hateful character rips them apart. they play hand-slap games in fields of flowers. they carve their names in a heart on a tree. they wear the best calico dresses and crushed straw hats. this whole movie reminds me of marc jacobs spring 2009 collection( even though i know mary poppins is supposed to be the inspiration).
but my favorite scene is when nettie teaches celie how to read. it made me smile and cry happy tears. the women in this movie are so strong, and lovely, and inspiring.
whoopi goldberg. wow. i thought oda mae brown was my favorite character of hers... but she is wonderful as celie. so resilient. so forgiving. so self-sufficient. so much mental and physical fortitude.
shug avery. the saucy singer/ danny glover's mistress who brings celie to life and reminds her that she is worth being loved. and man does homegirl have the BEST flappery, shiny costumes. i want to raid her dressing room!
sofia. me loves oprah. me loves this fiery, feisty character. any woman who is kind of mouthy and balks the role of the stereotypical obedient and subservient wife, is my kind of gal. a kind of quality i find is shared amongst all of my female friends.
for being such a sad, sad place in time, dusty, rural georgia looks awfully beautiful in spielberg's portrayal. i fell in love with the patchworked tin houses, fields of flowers, sun-bleached laundry drying on clothlines, and kitchens filled with honey jars and herbs dying on windowsills. and i might be more inclined to go to church if i could find one as charming as the church in this film.
now i need to get the courage to read the book again. let's see if my 25 year old heart is strong enough to turn the pages...
20 comments:
What a beautiful ode you have done for one of my favorite movies. My favorite part is when Sug hears God Is Trying To You Something coming from her daddy's church. She wanted her father's love and acknowledgement so much. I've watched it countless times and still get all choked up at that scene.
It is a truely lovely film. Have you seen or red The Secret Life of Bees? You reminded me of it with all the mention of jars in the kitchen!
I got to see the broadway version, and wow did it do everything to pull tears out of my eyes. Really really moving. even more so than the film I think. If you get the chance, it's definitely worth seeing.
I read the book when I was 13 and then again when I was 17 and now I am ready to read it again. I love the book- it was indeed heart wrenching and very racy. I remember asking my mother about a certain scene that made her blush as she tried to explain, because it was a little vague in the book, especially for a 13 yr old. I had stolen the book off of my mother's bookshelf and when she first caught me with the book she tried to tell me I shouldn't be reading it, but I told her I had already seen the movie, so it didn't matter! I can remember watching the movie for the first time with my aunt Brenda when I was about 7 years old and just crying our eyes out together as we watched on a rainy afternoon in Florida. Ginny, you must read the book. You will love each character 10 times more! What a wonderful post. Thank you for reminding me.
xoxo
What a great post! One of the best movies of all time, to be sure.
I found you on "An Apple a Day"s blog list... stop by my blog today, if you can. I am in need of some unbiased advice.
Cheers,
M
i still sing "sister you been on my mind" when i work.
I've actually never seen any of these movies, but the screen caps really make me want to see them.
Ginny- you must must must give the book another try...because it is racing & heart-wrenching. Can I ask where you snagged all of your pics from the movie? Did you pause your tv & shoot? (Because you have some of my favorite moments from the movie & not the usual posted bunch....) Thanks!
Ooops, racy- not racing..darn these fingers that type faster than my brain.
hey becca! i will definitely muster the courage to give it a go again! also, yes, to get screen shots i just pause the movie and snap a photo. its easy peasy! our design professors in school were insistent that we do this for inspiration!
Lovely tribute to my most beloved movie of all time ever! I quote it nearly every day. The dialogue has become so routine within my family that we speak it like a second language.
Example: My sister and daddy picked me up from the airport a couple of months ago and after I got myself settled in the car I asked, "So how's everybody doing?". And my sister's reply was, "Us got colds (sniff)."
I could go on. But I won't.
oh jan! i'm so glad! i am totally the same way with steel magnolias and a league of their own. i find ways to quote it everyday! sooooo good.
and the oh-so glamourous anchor man movie. the terribly funny will farrell frat pack movie. i love guilty pleasure movies, too ;)
Ginny! You inspired us LA gals to head to the library and pick up a copy.... we made a delicious dinner, and then curled up on the couch with our little jars of red wine, and cried our eyes out!
:) what a lovely night....
xo
Erin
This movie is just so beautiful!!!
♥
Very nice post you made on it.
Thanx!!
a beautiful movie! i remember watching it for the first time at 13 & crying.
dear anonymous,
wow.
Dear Anonymous,
Your laughable attempts to try and tear someone (who you actually know zero about) down anonymously over the internet are what make you the definition of a coward.
I could go on, but you're not worth it.
Be at Peace,
Peter
I am loving the "anonymous" comments. Maybe before typing a comment, he/she might want to spell check - hmm, let's pick one - "spaztic," "falsy," "ungly" or maybe study up the difference between "your" and "YOU'RE." Brilliant post. I am sorry that this person has such a miserable life that he/she has the time to post on blogs on a Saturday night. Get over yourself. I am completely turned off by your perspective. Or should I say -"you're" perspective.
dear anonymous,
i will not post your recent comment. i am officially screening overly negative comments on my blog. you are absolutely entitled to your opinion, however wrong you may be. i am FULLY aware of the history surrounding the old south. you contradict yourself by assuming i'm both uneducated and glaringly racist. and then because i like hip hop music and movies like the color purple, then i must be, "falsely sympathetic". that my dear, is creepy and backwards. how icky that you would make an assumption that because i am white and like those the things, that makes me an overcompensating white racist. i can say with confidence you are so wrong in your accusation, it is scary. and frankly, you seem to be the one making all of the ignorant assumptions and stereotyping.
and for you to assume i'm spending my HUSBAND'S money, shows how you know NOTHING about me. i have been working since i was 18 and making my own income, thank you for that false assumption.
and because i show love for my husband, family, and friends that makes me pathetic and clearly hiding turmoil lurking beneath the surface? what a bunch of hooey.
and from now on i will screen comments that are deemed unkind, cruel, and non-constructive.
so, dear anonymous, you are entitled to your opinion. but i will not post your borderline- threatening retaliation on this blog. and please don't pretend your comment was refreshing or honest. it was hateful, mean-spirited, and the opposite of this blog, which is to be about love and gratitude. you have too much hate in YOUR heart. i wish you that you find some inner peace. maybe try extending more goodwill and less time spewing non-sensical drivel, anonymously over the internet.
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