“For Colored Girls: Recapped & Wrapped
“It was all I had but bein alive & bein a woman & bein colored is a metaphysical dilemma/ I haven’t conquered yet.” ~Lady In Yellow
“Ever since I realized there waz someone callt/ a colored girl an evil woman a bitch or a nag/ i been tryin not to be that & leave bitterness/ in somebody else’s cup.” ~Lady In Orange
“Poetry is not a Luxury!” ~Audre Lorde
I could go on and on with my favorite lines from “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow Is Enuf,” but I’ll stop here… for now. I’m actually already tired of talking about Tyler Perry’s adaptation and it’s only been out for a week, but by today’s Box Office standings, I think these rapid-fire rants and raves will be smoldering out real soon. I have no misgivings, angst or regrets. I’ve learned a great deal from all of my convos about the book and the movie and am absolutely grateful for each and every one! I learned some things about myself, about my grrrls and about Black art. It’s been relentless, satisfying, exhausting, inspiring and disappointing, but it’s time I move on. I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but I’m exiting stage left for other parts of this vast brown braided girl, colored folk, political, fantastical, beleaguered beautiful Black frontier. I’m ready to say goodbye like I never have before. So here’s a recap of some of my favorite reviews, thoughts and critiques:
Stefanie Kelly’s brave and bombastic telling of what the book meant to her mom and how it in turned figured into her life and why the movie fell so short.
Thembisa Mshaka’s look at the more technical aspects of the “For Colored Girls” like the score and set design. She also goes deep on Nzingha Stewart’s plight as the 1st director of FCG.
Helena Andrews wonderful Q&A with her mom about the film is humorous, engaging and quite enlightening.
Salamishah Tillet’s well thought out Black feminist reading of FCG and how pain and pleasure are revealed is damn smart.
How many of y’all remember Erykah Badu’s Bag Lady? It’s Shange inspired from first frame to closing credits. I just love myself some Badu! And oh yeah while you check this vid please leave your favorite lines from the choreopoem. To top of my FCG experience I’m going to see Ntozake Shange tonight at The Nuyorican Poets Café and it will truly be a wrap after that!
I’m leaving the content analysis to other folks. I just want to say that I am all kinds of ways of mad at the three most cracked out elements of for colored girls on Perry’s watch: 1. What the hell happened to the colors? Where was the wardrobe designer? Smokin in the hallway while decisions was gettin’ made? I mean seriously there was more color in the fonts than the clothes. 2. Who in the world approved that wack job sound track? I’ve heard better music on soap operas. And speakin’ of opera that operatic moment was about the only time the score rose to the poetics of the original work. 3. Where was the choreography? It’s a CHOREOpoem. We got about 3 minutes of dance total. What a shame that the movement, the rise of bodies to speak beyond and into language was totally stripped out. Vibrant colors/Sound/Dance – all epic failures of the remake. Now when Ishmael comes out with his grumpy rip it apart critique somebody be sure to send it to me, I’ll leave it to the master of warp to do the pomo word play on all the other epic fails of the flick. I’m just mad I didn’t get to get my aesthetic on at all in two hours of drama.
That should read “Score” not soundtrack on point 2. And TY Nicole for pointing out that needed clarification.
In every scene with Michael… I mean Janet Jackson, I was reminded of an episode of SNL with Alec Baldwin from about a year ago. He spoofs the overdramatization of “the first cough” to symbolize an impending or underlying illness. It was trite, phony and medically misleading! I think the audience is smart enough to know the deal without such over the top “clues.” But that’s often the problem with Tyler Perry’s productions–he underestimates and plays his audience for fools. We know Kimberly Elyse can’t pick a good man. We expect Mrs. Huxtable to be a mother hen. Of course Whoopi’s dreadlocked no-eyebrow character I’d the crazy one. Mix it up a little and surprise us!
And as for bmaroon’s comment about the lack of color, I think that could extend to the cast as well. Are there *no* brownskin women under 60 in Hollywood?! I’m sure those actresses would like to be considered for more than loudmouthed extras and crackheads in a Tyler Perry production.