DENZEL AND WIFE PAULETTA ATTEND UNSTOPPABLE PREMEIRE
"> LAST NIGHT I WENT TO A SCREENING OF UNSTOPPABLE STARRING DENZEL WASHINGTON. THIS SUSPENSEFUL FILM WAS VERY EDGY I GIVE IT 3 STARS.
A rail company frantically works to prevent an unmanned, half-mile-long freight train carrying combustible liquids and poisonous gas from wiping out a city. IN THEATERS NOVEMBER 12TH.
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In her break-out bestseller, "Waiting to Exhale" (1992), Terry McMillan celebrated female bonding. Girlfriends assumed top status in the hierarchy of important relationships for women. The novel, about four black women living in Phoenix in the late 1980s, depicted professional burn-out, romantic betrayal and survival. These were women in their late 30s and early 40s, providing solace to one another in a way that family members, husbands and boyfriends did not. They partied together, cried together and, ultimately, recovered together.
McMillan's new novel, "Getting to Happy," is a sequel that resumes the story some 15 years later. All four women are back, but this time, of course, they're middle-aged. The issues of their youth have morphed into new ones. There are children now from failed relationships and grandchildren, too, along with failed businesses and second mortgages. Each of the four is in her 50s, or about to be, and not quite sure what to do with herself.
There's Savannah, a TV news producer. She's unhappily married to Isaac, a landscaper "in love with wood." Isaac is also in love with porn and spends more time on the computer than with his wife. And he's a Republican, which Savannah finds unacceptable.
Robin is an insurance executive, a single mother and a compulsive shopper. The father of her daughter is in jail. She has a long history of sexual relationships with men that go nowhere, but she clings to one dream: getting married in a white dress. She recently discovered online dating.
Bernadine is between jobs and the former owner of Sweet Tooth, a defunct restaurant. Her children are away at school, leaving her alone to mull over her failed romances. Her first husband left her for his receptionist, and No. 2 betrayed her, too. Bernadine has retreated into prescription drugs and spends most of her days anaesthetizing herself.
Gloria is the only one happily married. She's a former hairdresser who manages her own salon. Her son is a policeman with three children and a wife of questionable moral stature. But Gloria is happy, at least in the early pages of the book.
McMillan has said she didn't plan to write a sequel, but her old characters "began to reclaim their place in my heart, and, like old friends you haven't seen since college, I wondered how they might be faring now." She fleshes them out by shifting the point of view, sometimes writing in first person, sometimes in third, resulting in a crosshatch of perspectives. Her dialogue remains superb.
These women have all kinds of contemporary challenges, including elderly mothers, deadbeat dads, hard-up sisters and a changing job market. They've gained weight, gone through menopause and suffered memory loss. They're lonely. They've stopped being social creatures. They used to "run their mouths on the phone half the night," but now they e-mail and text each other.
"Apparently we're too damn old to have fun in public places," muses Savannah. But occasionally they get together for Blockbuster Night, where they watch bootleg DVDs and sip mojitos. Together, they voice their frustrations. "I find it grossly unfair that God rigged this whole thing so men seem to get better-looking as they get older and women simply age out. Why is it that their wrinkles make them sexy and more distinguished," asks Savannah, "while ours make us look old and unattractive?"
They decide, individually and together, to upgrade their lives, to "get happy."
The difference between this book and "Waiting to Exhale" is that "happy" has a different meaning now. For these women, it's no longer about the perfect job or the perfect man. It's a more complicated notion. The theme of addiction carries through the novel, and that's no accident. McMillan suggests that Bernadine's struggle with antidepressants, Robin's trips to the mall and Gloria's struggle with food are all symptoms of the same thing. The notion of "getting to happy" means doing away with self-delusion. And, according to McMillan, it also means forgiveness. The outrage and the disappointment so vividly portrayed in the opening chapters must ultimately melt into understanding, even love, if possible.
Some readers may feel that "Getting to Happy" doesn't offer many surprises. The ladies learn to undo their vices, to visualize better lives and, through meditation, to breathe. And while this makes sense, in terms of the characters, it feels somewhat anticlimactic given the earlier chapters. Still, there's an integrity that isn't compromised here. McMillan clearly respects her characters and her readers, too.
MARY J. BLIGE AS DIANA ROSS USHER IS CHANNELING SAMMY DAVIS JR. KERRY WASHINGTON ELLE COVER KERRY WASHINGTON USHER,MARY J BLIGE, TARJI P. HENSON, SAMUEL L. JACKSON AND NIA LONG
Coming to theaters on Oct.15 is the indie film, 'N-Secure,' which stars Cordell Moore, Essence Atkins, Tempestt Bledsoe, Denise Boutte, Lamman Rucker, and Elise Neal.
Also featured in the film are Rick Ravanello, Caryn Ward, Thomas Miles, Toni Trucks, Steve Conn, and Dianne Sullivan.
Directed by David M. Matthews, 'N-Secure' is a no holds-barred thrilling drama mixed with murder, mayhem and manipulation among affluent professionals. This film sheds light on a man's downfall from the pinnacles of success into the depths of his damaged character. His insecurities lead him into a series of troubled romantic relationships and eventually a web of events that include betrayal and murder.
Following the platinum selling success of Soldier of Love, Sade announces their highly anticipated return to the world’s stage. The North American leg begins on June 16th, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland at the 1st Mariner Arena. Tickets go on sale in select markets beginning October 16th at LiveNation.com with additional dates to be announced soon.
Sade will perform songs from their collection of timeless hits including songs from their critically acclaimed album, Soldier of Love which secured the # 1 album spot upon its release in February. Selling over a million copies to-date, Soldier of Love spent three weeks in the number one spot taking its rightful place among the collection of iconic Sade albums.
Sade will perform over 50 concerts in top arenas across North America, in an effort to reach her vast and loyal fan base. Their classic sound set to haunting, unmistakable vocals creates the most intimate of concert experiences in a way that only an unforgettable Sade performance can. Sade performed for more than 1,000,000 fans during her last tour in 2001.
CHECK local tickmasters for concert tickets in your area.
