Funny Valentines (1999) (TV)

Director:

Julie Dash

Writers (WGA):

J. California Cooper (short story "Funny Valentines")
Ron Stacker Thompson (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

14 February 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A woman returns to her home town to sort out her troubled marriage and finds new happiness in the rekindling of a broken friendship with her cousin. |

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Alfre Woodard	...	Joyce May
Loretta Devine	...	Dearie B.
CCH Pounder	...	Ethel B.
Tom Wright	...	Dr. Thomas Holder
Peter J. Fernandez	...	Danny (as Peter Jay Fernandez)
Megalyn Echikunwoke	...	Lauren
Kajuana Shuford	...	Gail
Denise Burse	...	Brenda
Chris Dunn	...	Eobert Earl (as Christopher Dunn)
Debra Terry	...	Mrs. Watts
Von Coulter	...	Troy Watts
Afemo Omilami	...	Ephraim Lee
Christopher Ryan Dunn	...	Robert Earl (as Chris Dunn)
Ruth Beckford	...	Mrs. Coleman
Saycon Sengbloh	...	Young Dearie B.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

North Carolina, USA

Company:

Black Entertainment Television (BET)

Quotes:

Joyce May: Dearie , you know how you always said you wished we were sisters?
Dearie B.: Mmm-hmm.
Joyce May: Well, we are.
Dearie B.: Uh-huh.
Joyce May: No, we are! Blood sisters. I saw the birth certificate.
Dearie B.: Oh, Joyce May, I know!
Joyce May: How... how do you know?
Dearie B.: Because I wished it!
Joyce May: Dearie, it's not that simple.
Dearie B.: Of course it is. You don't need a piece of paper to tell you what's already in your heart. Even I know that.

Movie Connections:

References A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Best movie featuring Africian-Americans I have ever seen

There are several things about this movie I liked and nothing that I didn't like. The way the movie is written, the viewer is left to conclude for themselves how relationships between the characters will play out (much like a John Sayles movie, i.e. Passion Fish, Lone Star.) What I liked most, however, is even though the main cast is entirely Africian-American, the issue of race never enters into the picture. It is a movie any race can watch, enjoy, and identify with, and not feel guilty or blame about who or what they were born. As each character came across the screen, I either knew a person like that or had been in a situation similar to the character myself. We all want a life free of complications, good relationships with our family and friends, to honestly care for someone, and to be honestly cared for. Overall, it is good to watch an intelligent, well acted black movie and not get cussed out and shot at in the process.