Diary Entry: On The Colour Purple Movie

My thoughts and real diary writing after I saw the film

Saturday 27th of January 2024, the park bench, 4:45p.m

I just arrived at the local park down the road from me. The one I often take B to. I’m on a bench tucked away, but with a great view of everything and everyone. To my surprise it’s rather busy! I can see boys playing football, dog walkers, kids playing on the swings, and I hope this lady with this big-ass dog I can see walking around puts it on the lead, by the time she reaches my bench.

The sun is still out, today was one of those bright but chilly spring-like days.

So this morning after S went off to his sports competition, he’s in the final! I left B with his nanny for a few hours and took myself for coffee, a wander around, then to the movies. I heard, via text S won the match, he’s now the champion of the region — way to go baby!

I went to see the early afternoon showing of the re-make of The Colour Purple (1983), I was so keen to see it as I read a review by Ivylockewrites and also Bloom 🌺 these are two women I follow on Medium, in their view it seemed like it may not be anything that special.

In fact, Ivylockewrites went as far as to say in her review she wasn’t really that pressed about seeing it, and felt a bit conflicted by it, if I remember correctly. I was like wow! But I guess, on reflection it’s because of how she felt the original movie portrayed black women. Maybe also what she had learnt while young, from reading her view, her mum sounds a lot like my mum, and based on this I think Ivy wasn’t that pressed due to what she learned growing up and reading her review — makes sense.

Bloom 🌺 in her review felt that the dancing and singing was great, but nothing on the original is the impression I was left with.

They were so lucky to have seen it so soon, I had to wait a whole month for it to be released in Europe.

So anyway, since I read these reviews, and since it was such a surprise to me that the original film was re-made. I had no idea when I wrote, Notes on The Colour Purple (1983), Forty Years On. I just re-read the book in April last year, penned the essay, and then heard about this new film via Medium.

I had to see it

How I felt watching it

I was the only one in the movie theater! LOL, I could hardly believe I had the whole place to myself. Probably as it was the afternoon showing on a Saturday. It was only released two days ago, tonight I bet it will be packed.

I was to my surprise delighted, but it was a very emotional experience for me to say the least. The re-make is certainly a re-make and nothing like the original. I feel that all of Celia’s pain was removed — totally, gone, banished like there was nothing really there with all the singing and dancing.

Even while I enjoyed seeing the wonderful actresses portray the women I have historically associated with the movie, and the book…

A lot of it was missing for me.

It was like a different The Colour Purple but not in a bad way, no. Not at all.

It was like a broadway play on the screen!

The story was told not in the exact same way that Alice Walker penned the book. That said this was at the time of viewing, and even now as I sit on the bench and reflect — no problem for me personally.

I rather liked it.

My emotions

I was really surprised by my own emotions as I watched certain parts, with all the singing and dancing anyone would imagine a joyful feeling. The singing and dancing took away the emotion and pain on screen, but not from within me. I felt the opposite as I think subconsciously, I associated what I saw on screen — with the reality I watched in the 1983 movie.

The pain

The drama

The hardships

Mister’s bull shit

Harpo’s foolishness

The reality for a woman at the turn of the twentieth century

I even felt it as I read the book in April 2023, for about the third time! The movie I didn’t see this, but I still felt it, as I watched the painful parts.

It was Sofia

As I watched the actress ( Danielle Brooks) portray what Orpah originally did, for Sofia’s story this was very emotional for me. I had never heard of her before, but she’s a good actress.

She did a fantastic job at making the character and her narrative her own — as the 2024 version of her.

But, I must admit it felt like her sadness (Sofia’s) was not as much as I felt when I watched the original — the singing and dancing again! Took it away a bit.

Sofia’s words, “All my life I’ve had to fight”…. you know the rest, have always rested deep in my soul, since I read them and heard Orpah say them.

I don’t know what Alice Walker was thinking when she wrote those words, actually, yes. I do.

She was capturing the plight of that character at a key time in history.

Celia

Celia’s story to me, even with the song and dance, was great to see on the screen. It felt like it was a different interpretation of it, but the likeness of the actress who played the younger Ceila with Whoopi Goldberg, and also Fantasia’s mannerisms as she played the older Ceila really made me recall the original movie. Both actresses understood the role well.

Ah Shug Avery!!! I just knew Taraji P. Henson would do a great job with this character!! I had no idea, and I mean no idea she could sing so well. One thing about Taraji. P. Henson is — she puts her soul into every character she plays on screen, I love it! I really wish people would stop getting at her for speaking up about being underpaid.

It happens to women all the time, what makes Hollywood any different?

As I sit here, I still can’t understand why the novel, original movie, and the re-make all strike such a cord with me, emotionally I mean.

I can’t put my finger on it.

I don’t want to cry, not at all, but I adore the work that Alice Walker did here. I have read a lot about the backlash she got for writing this novel, probably due to the time she wrote it in, as in, literally when she wrote it — not the time the novel is set in.

Overall, I think it was a 10/10 experience for me.

I didn’t expect the original, so I can’t base my experience on that, and I certainly didn’t expect all the singing and dancing until I read the other reviews on it. I don’t know what I expected, and that was all part of the thrill of today, I’ve been looking forward to it since before Christmas 2023.

What I got I was pleased with. Alice Walker should be too, as if I penned a novel and forty years after people still want to re-make it — I’d be over the moon!

Further reading

Thanks for your readership, I hope my writing gave you something to think about. If I’ve caught you in a good mood or you’re feeling kind, you can buy me a herbal tea here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/MeAndMyMuse.

Do you have something to write about you think would be welcomed here at The Diarist? Check out the submissions page — let’s see it! Follow The Diarist for some gripping diary entries, by your favourite Diarists.