Why Tyler Perry’s “Good Deeds” is a Must See

Ok, so let me first start off by saying, I’m not a huge Tyler Perry fan. So, this isn’t an over excited fan who will love anything he puts out. I’m a lover of art, especially the stuff that provokes much thought and causes you to have long engaging discussions. Now that I’ve got that disclaimer out of the way…

Good Deeds is the movie to watch! At the hem of a slow moving economy where people are making big decisions in their lives and what moves to make next. Tyler Perry tackles the subject matter that forces you to look at what real happiness is. This movie really touched home with me.

I have a BA in Business degree. But I’m extremely passionate about the arts, particularly television and aspire to write for television one day. It was my dream in school. But I remember telling a faculty member my dream and her response to it was that I needed to be real and that I couldn’t make a living doing that. I also remember other members of my family and friends telling me that someone with my intelligence just has to get a 4 year degree. However, I can honestly say that I wonder where I’d be at this very moment had I just followed my original dream.

I’m a lover of change and creation. I thrive off of it. And doing those things that are repetitive only douses out the fire that burns within. And if I feel that way, I wonder how many others are just going thru life doing what you think others expect of you, instead of what you want for your life. How much more fulfilling would life be and how much less uptight would others be if they did.

Another thought to ponder in the movie is the idea that with wealth comes happiness. You have Deeds who can buy anything he wants, he has the woman of the highest pedigree,  and yet his life is still unfulfilled. This brings to the surface that while we may not have the same problem…we ALL have problems in our lives. The most important thing in life can’t be bought with money. The wealthy put their pants on one leg at a time. So instead of putting them on pedestals, we need to feel comfortable and thankful for the valleys and peaks that we have.

It’s because of the subject matter that I put this movie in my Top 5 TP movies. So, passionately I ask that if you haven’t seen it yet…Go ASAP!!! And tell me what you think after you have:) And start living!!! I know I am!

~Tanisha’s Savvy Two Cents~

My Disappointment for Red Tails

Red Tails

This weekend there’s been two words on nearly everyone’s lips or brains that’s captivating audiences all over….RED TAILS! Produced and funded by George Lucas, Red Tails is an epic story based on the true story of the Tuskegee Airmen in WWII, as the first black aerial combat unit. The film stars, Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Nate Parker of The Great Debaters.

Having watched the movie, I found it to be extremely enjoyable, and an amazing story about what it was like for the black men of that day who were wanting and willing to fight for our country, yet still made to feel that they were inadequate and unimportant. And their level of commitment and perseverance through it all.

This post isn’t to critique the movie, because I think it was very well depicted. However, this is more so to discuss somethings that I feel need to be voiced.

My greatest disappointments for Red Tails comes from all those who I’ve heard from the black community who choose not to support such a great film and are going to miss out on a wonderful message. It amazes me that in a time when racism is rendering it’s moon sized dome evermore, that blacks would feel that because the movie isn’t 100% accurately depicted that it would be grounds to not show their support at the box office.  First of all, you have to realize the movie is still fiction. It says inspired by true events, it doesn’t say it’s non-fictional. I’m pretty sure that most of the original Tuskegee airmen are deceased or probably close to it (not to seem insensitive) so it’d be pretty hard to make this movie 100% accurately without their input.

Secondly, I’ve heard complaints about the love interest of one of the pilots being white….ok, Italian. Really??? Let’s break this down. The movie was based on the squad’s being in Italy and fighting Germany. If you’d watched the movie, you’d have noticed that not one time did they show the men going home. They had a mission. It was all based off of the fact that they were stationed in Italy. However, they did note that one of the soldiers had a wife back home. And Cuba Gooding’s character was also married (notice the wedding ring he wears). But even still, did you really think all black men who entered the war were married right away or wouldn’t be interested in Italian women? Hate to break it to you, there’s nothing new under the sun. True love doesn’t have a color. And the moment, we start to realize that….maybe, just maybe we can really start to get a greater grasp on racism.

Lastly, I heard criticism about the movie being produced by a white person. To that I say a big……SO WHAT!!! If we’re not backing and funding our own stories, why shouldn’t we be happy that someone else who so happens to be non-black is willing and able to do so too. It’s a positive story to be told. Nothing in the movie demeaned us in anyway. It showed us in a very natural and normal light. This is a story to share with our youth. I hope this movie inspires so many of our young black men, who feel like they can’t or the odds are stacked against them to rise above all the pettiness and the nay sayings that they hear and move forward.

One of my favorite quotes of the movie was from Terrence Howard’s character, “You don’t always make the right decision.” he was addressing Nate Parker who seemed to be having a pity party about some of the decisions he’d made in the past that he felt caused some harm. I think if we all realized that and are just willing to accept that in life we’re going to make wrong decisions. But pick ourselves up when we do and carry on, life would be a lot more fulfilling and definitely more productive.

You can’t change your yesterday, nor fast forward to tomorrow….just live your life the best you can for today.

 

Just my Savvy Two Cents.