kis·met \ˈkiz-ˌmet, -mət\ - noun; often capitalized
1. fate.
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"We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language.
That may be the measure of our lives." - Toni Morrison

"Growing up Southern is a privilege, really. It's more than where you're born; it's an idea and state of mind that seems imparted at birth. It's more than loving fried chicken, sweet tea, football, and country music. It’s being hospitable, devoted to front porches, magnolias, moon pies, coca-cola... and each other. We don't become Southern - we're born that way." - Unknown

27 March 2010

kind of a movie review?

Today I watched the movie Precious. It was a very well made movie that leaves you with a lot to think about. I'm still processing it all - the movie is incredibly heavy - but here are a few of my initial thoughts.

Precious is an extremely heartbreaking movie. For those of you who haven't (and won't) see it, without giving too much away, it is the story of an illiterate girl (Precious) who lives in a sexually and physically abusive household. There was a lot of language, but it was all about uneducated people living in inner-city Harlem. What else would you expect? I also wanted to strangle Mo'Nique's character throughout the entire movie. (Don't even get me started on her.) Her performance was brilliant, though, and she definitely deserved her Oscar. Essentially, the movie was a huge reminder to me about how well off I actually am. It kills me to think that some people actually have lives like Precious', and it makes me want to run out and do everything I can to help those people. Though it leaves me feeling rather helpless because I'm not in any kind of position to do so. I sat there absolutely infuriated for the majority of the movie, then anger turned to tears for the people living like that. Watching this movie almost makes me feel guilty for everything I have, knowing that there are people out there living such terrible lives. It raises questions such as: Why was I born into the family I was? Why did I end up with such a life of comfort and full of love, when other people suffer so much? You know, stuff like that.

All that being said, I think that whether or not you choose to watch this movie, we all need to take a step back and remember to be thankful for the wonderful lives we have. When you're having a terrible day and thinking that it couldn't possibly get worse, remember that it could, indeed, be worse, and for some people, that is their all-too-horrible reality.

2 comments:

lotusgirl said...

Yep. It's so important for us not to take all our blessings for granted.

Brittany said...

This is why I am working towards becoming a counselor for victims of abuse. I have know to many people in situations extremely similar to Precious and often times they don't get the help they deserve/need. How can I sit here with my wonderful life and not help?