Building My Own Sandcastles...

Have you ever noticed that oftentimes books that are turned into screenplays somehow don't quite capture the book? My favorite book of all time is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I love this book and the author for a number of reasons, but they all combobulate into one mantra: Live life on your own terms. Anyway, I finally watched the made-for-tv movie starring Halle Berry.

I knew I was going to be quite critical of the movie before I even sat down to watch it. I discovered Their Eyes at least ten 10-12 years ago. Before I had a concept of self-assurance, empowered or even feminism, I knew this book spoke to me. I also knew that this book in some way shape or form had to be autobiographical because no author could breathe life into a character like Janie and not have experienced it.

The great thing about books is they give you a foundation that allows your imagination to truly create what you want your book to be. Your mind creates this story of ice cream and sandcastles and you get to determine what the exact shade of spearmint is.

In my mind, I had conjured up Janie and all of the relationships she had encountered on her journey of self-discovery. She was my own personal heroine when others around me were praising Jane Austen characters for their resolve to live life on their own terms.

Okay, so I prepare myself to be disappointed at Oprah’s attempt to once again enlighten the masses (another commentary coming soon, I assure you). I have nothing against Halle Berry. I think she has the potential to be an incredible actress if she’ll only completely surrender herself. She is just not my idea of Janie. Janie is soul of souls. She is beautiful, but it’s in a way that is unconventional so that it isn’t “Oh, she is so beautiful “. It’s more of the type of looks that make you stop and wonder why you can’t stop looking at this person.

Well, Halle did a pretty good job. However I am extremely disappointed at how the directors, producers, whoever, failed to truly capture the essence of Janie. Oprah described Their Eyes as her favorite love story. However, it’s more than that. Characters like Janie aren’t immortalized just because they are great reads. She is a heroine because Zora Neale recognized way back then that our souls often yearn for more than what we are often given. If we don’t give in to that yearning, it will only make us miserable and admonish those who do; not out of sense of level-headedness (is that a word), but out of envy.

Happiness, however you define it, is meant to be experienced. The true sense of happiness doesn’t leave you cold and wishing. It leaves you warm and fulfilled, grateful that you even had the opportunity to find it.

So to those who think that America is benefited by taking great literature and transforming it into the big screen, some people like sandcastles in just their own shade of spearmint.