John Singleton’s 1993 film,Poetic Justice, features some of the author’s most indelible work.
The film’s starJanet Jacksonremembers the woman behind the words.
I was young, 25 years old.
Her voice was so strong.
She had a powerful impact on me.
The effects of the abuse, and all that occurred after, silenced her.
She shattered barriers not just for African-American women but for ALL women.
There are no barriers of color or gender when it comes to Dr. Angelou.
The empowering truth of them resonates with all women.
She is a genius, an activist, a trailblazer, and so much more.
There is no word that exists to describe how phenomenal this woman will always be.
She dedicated her life to teaching us how to better ourselves.
She taught us the importance of knowing our worth.
She knew who she was, and I could relate to that in my own way.
She has left it not to me, but to the world.
The book is split into two sections the first deals with love, the second with the African-American experience.
Her vivid personality leaps off the page as she infuses her readers with pride, strength, and hope.
Through a string of flashbacks, Ryder’s Finn learns from the travails of her foremothers.
The moral of each story is the same: Men stink.
A study in contrasts, Burstyn is as subtle as Bancroft is hammy.
Poet Maya Angelou executesQuilt’s finest turn as an ex-domestic and leader of the sewing circle.
This kind of movie is why God created Best Supporting Actress Oscars.
The teeming cast isn’t seamless.
Two of Ryder’sLittle Womensibs, Samantha Mathis and Claire Danes, fare poorly.
Danes doesn’t resemble Bancroft enough to pass for a younger version of her character.
Despite a few threadbare patches,How to Make an American Quilthangs together nicely.
The characters sneak up on you; before you know it, you care about them.
“You made me cry.”
“Best wishes,” she says slowly, in her deep, rich voice.
“What is your language?”
“People say to me, ‘Thank you for our poem.’
That’s what I wanted,” says Angelou.
“I think my delivery (at the inauguration) had its own impact,” Angelou says.
“Before, I could pass 100 people and maybe 10 would recognize me.
Now, maybe 40 percent recognize me.
If they hear my voice, another 30 percent do too.”
“(Somebody) got excited,” she says with a laugh.
“‘There she is!
That’s the poet!’
Then they all stopped.
They were a little ashamed of having lost it for a second.
“Meredith Berkman [From the Feb. 26, 1993 issue]
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