“For Colored Girls” by Tyler Perry was introduced in theaters on Nov. 4. The movie stems from the original stage play consisting of 20 choreo-poems by Ntozake Shange. Tyler Perry wrote and directed his own version.
Perry’s version included a storyline that exhibited each character in the poems. Each character emphasized on the struggles that women of color face and can be related to all women as well.
Many issues that were tackled in this film ranged from abusive relationships to distorted views of sex , low self-esteem, and rape and abortion. Actresses include Phylicia Rashad, Kimberly Elise, Thandi Newton, Loretta Devine, Keri Washington, Janet Jackson, Anika Noni Rose, and Tessa Thompson. Other actors and actresses included Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Ealy, Hill Harper,
It was a very emotionally charged movie, but movie critics continue to have negative opinions about “For Colored Girls” and previous films that Perry have created although this is not a piece he originally created.
Ntozake Shange starred in the 1971 version “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf'”. The original was very different in the sense that it was not as scripted as the movie, which is to be expected. The original movie delivered each poem in its truest form, while cinematography was not as important as the content of the movie.
Overall both versions ultimately have the same goals: to provoke inner change within the African-American society, specifically women, and their perceptions of self-image. This is a movie that everyone should take the time out to see because from 1971 to 2010, these issues are still very relevant.