Dream Girls...Worth the Hype!

Wow! We decided to have a girls day out this afternoon to see the movie DreamGirls. I am a bit of a skeptic and wanted to see for myself if the film lived up to all of the hype in the media over recent weeks. Well I can say for me, it did.

My favorite moment in the film is from the photo above where Jennifer Hudson sings the ballad made famous by former dream girl Jennifer Holliday, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going". Though this place in the movie is about Effie and Curtis, it was also about us. Our individual heart breaks, the struggle of our people, the desire to be heard. And you can feel Jennifer throughout the song. I felt her every failed audition, the rejection from American Idol producers and voters during her competition & every heart ache she has spent with her tears. Who doesn't want to declare, I am worthy and worthy to be loved?

Jennifer poured herself into that song and like melting butter over a baked potato, each one of us sucked it up and we felt her pain, goose bumps tingled up our arms and the hairs on the backs of our necks rose up while we agonized with her. This was a rendition that will effect me the same way each time I hear it.

And might I just say that there is deserved praise for every person in this film. There is no reason to tear down one artist over another or even compare. I have heard a lot of that regarding Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson. Beyonce seems to be getting the brunt of all of those touchy places in our beings over skinny vs fat, light skin vs dark skin, blond vs brunett. All of our vulnerabilities come bubbling to the surface with this movie and some of us want someone to be mad at. Let us show our love to Beyonce as we watch her develop her acting skills and relish her outstanding vocal abilities while we celebrate the beginning of a new rising star in Jennifer. There is room for them both.

Jennifer gives a powerful performance, soul renching, and her acting was fresh and honest, totally believable. A natural actress. What a feat for a first time performance in a leading role at that! There are definitely more great things ahead for her and I agree that she is worthy of an Oscar nod. She made that character come alive so much so that I want to go out and buy a Florence Ballard album!

What worked so well for me about Beyonce's performance was the innocense and fragility that she brought to the character based on Dianna Ross. She actually made me feel sorry for Dianna whom I had long decided based on Hollywood lure, was a conniving diva. Eddie and Jamie were equally as wonderful in their roles! I knew Jamie was based on Berry Gordy and it was a sad look at how the lust for money can make a person with good intentions and greatness turn wicked. And I think we all grieved for the combination of Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye and James Brown portrayed by Eddie Murphy.

Everyone in this movie was remarkable. The A liners, the newbies and the veterans. There was a connection with the soul. We all have a dream, a special something we wish to be or do. We have all felt the pain of being cheated, the joy of success, the ugly truth we find out about others and ourselves. This cast and Bill Condon have given us a classic to add to our video libraries and the libraries of our hearts.

Ps. Keep in mind that dreams change as we grow and a dream deferred is still a dream. Go and get yours.

Where is your "G" Spot?

Well it has been weeks since I last blogged. I was in a real funk. No Christmas blues or anything like that, just lost my motivation. I realized why. Because I am on to something here. My destiny. Writing is like breathing for me. Since I didn't get the kind of response I was looking for on my last blog, it left me feeling a little down. A little out of breath, starving to make the words come alive. So I am asking today, where is your G spot?

Now, I am not talking about that place an inch and a half or so on the inside of the posterior region of a womans pot a gold. (If you want more on that subject stay tuned for a future post on keeping things sexy). No not talking about that spot.

I am talking about your God spot. We have time for Christmas shopping and Christmas parties, baking cookies and hanging decorations. We smile at one another and say thank you more than usual and we ask complete strangers which they think our nephew would like better the choo-choo train or the legos? But do we take a pause for the cause? Are we making effort to be aware that Jesus indeed is the reason for the season?

I will keep writing to those lost in the hype of hollywood and encourage them to find their G spot. Our God imparted a portion of Himself in to all of us. Made us a little lower than the angels...

Got Christmas angels on your tables & on your tree? How about in your heart?

We all have a G spot waiting to be tapped in to. That spot that calls you to a quiet place where hope is not lost, a place where promises of seeing again those who have passed on, eases grief. A place that urges us to practice random acts of kindness, to act with love and not emotion. A place that nags at us to be better, excellent in all of our endeavors, the best of ourselves, a praise to our God. You see we were born to be a praise. What better way to praise God than to live fully & love completely.

While I shopped today the greatest treasure was from a thrift store where I purchased a dusty inexpensive painting with the inscription:

"And now abideth Faith, Hope, Love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love"

God loves you and so do I.

Where's your G spot?