mrssilby

If you're looking for full on Tyler Perry comedy, don't watch this one. Every time I watch this movie, I laugh and I cry. I've known women who've been cheated on, and it changed them from sweet and happy, to vindictive people who trust no one. I've known families torn apart by drugs and alcohol, and the pain I see in Diary of A Mad Black Woman is dead on. Yep, I know older ladies who carry a pistol in their handbags. Maybe that's why I am so attached to this film. I know these people. DOAMBW is rough on the emotions. The pain is palpable, and we need Madea to break up the hard parts. It's like when you have sickness and death in the family, and you get punchy and silly. You have to laugh to keep from crying. The pretty people in this movie are really beautiful. Who could ever get tired of looking at Kimberly Elise and Shemar Moore? When I hear the voice-over of Kimberly Elise reading the diary entries, it's so realistic. It's the exact things you think when you are falling for someone and trying not. I've read a lot of negative reviews about this movie, but I just don't see the problems. It isn't a documentary after all.

Everyone knows by now the story of Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson, who meet at the beach during the summer, and due to a change in plans, (Sandy's parents decide to let her stay in the USA) they wind up at the same high school. Nineteen-fifties mayhem ensues, with greasers, girl gangs, jealousy, dance contests, and rivalries. I know all of the questions about Sandy turning "bad" to get a man, and whether or not the movie is a bad example for children. Those are questions about parenting, not good or bad movie-making.

I saw this movie when it was initially released; I was a kid! I really loved it then. Yesterday, it was on TV, and I was somewhat disappointed. The dance numbers were not nearly as tight as I remembered, especially the TV dance contest number, and "Beauty School Dropout." Stockard Channing's role was not done as well as I had remembered, but Dinah Manoff was really beautiful. I had forgotten that she was such a knockout.

The soundtrack is brilliant, and "Hopelessly Devoted" is absolutely classic. Newton-John's voice is spine tingling, definitely deserving of an Oscar. I think it is wonderful that all of the actors did their own vocals. Despite feeling somewhat critical toward this movie, the vocal performances make it a must see for any fan of musicals. It is one of the most singable soundtracks ever!

I saw it in the theater when I was twelve. I knew then that it was one of the best films I'd ever see. Candy Clark and Charles Martin Smith are terrific. Paul LeMat and Makenzie Phillips are great too. It's accurate, funny, and smart. I like that it doesn't try to explain anything. The movie just lets you ride along with the characters on a summer night. The Vespa,Toad trying to buy alcohol, the puke scene, the goat murderer, "My dad says he's a Negro." All of these are priceless. The ending is bittersweet, maybe a shadow of the war in Vietnam and the unrest ahead. The only negative was pointed out by a friend in college; it's WASPish. Otherwise it's perfect.