Talk to Me / Her
Finding a movie that meets all my criteria is always a challenge for my husband – no violence, a happy ending, what a wimp I am! Last night’s movie was “Talk to Me”, the story of Petey Green, the ex-con turned DJ.
It was a good way to glimpse the mood of DC during the late 60's when the city exploded over racial issues. Petey became the sounding board for blacks with generations of pent-up anger as he spun the tunes on WOL.
I couldn’t help but see the similarity between Petey and my friend Tondrea, the woman who was the victim of a hit-and-run accident in Suitland just two years ago. She could always tell it like it is. She never hesitated to give advice to the children of her drug-riddled neighborhood who often had no one else to care about them. She was willing to testify against those who committed wanton crimes against humanity. That’s probably what got her killed.
Twenty minutes before the end of the movie, my husband’s phone went off on vibrate. “It’s R___ (our daughter)” he said as he quickly walked out to take the call. I wondered if she had been in an accident, if she was stranded somewhere, what was so urgent that she would call in the middle of the movie. As it turns out, she was saying “Talk to me” after being thoroughly harassed by DC’s finest for having expired tags. It wouldn’t do that she had just driven in from Boston late the previous night. They could have simply written her the $100 citation, but instead they kept making idle threats and made her wait forever while they made sure the car wasn’t stolen.
So as Petey’s voice was silenced by cancer at age 53, my husband was talking to her and missing the end of the movie. Fortunately for him the best parts of the movie were toward the beginning and the end was actually somewhat schmaltzy.
As it turned out, our daughter hadn’t even reached Hawk & Dove when she was pulled over. So she drove the car with the expired plates back home and then sweet-talked her Dad into driving her back to Capitol Hill, where she was relieved of the need to be a sober driver.
I was surprised to find her asleep in her bed this AM with no evidence of a hangover. How did she get there? A $29 cab ride. It was an expensive evening.
posted by Barbara at 9:42 AM
3 Comments:
I am the same way with movies...no or little violence (which means nobody being mean, killing someone's cat or dog, or torturing anyone) and a happy ending. In that case have you seen "Miss Potter"? Excellent movie that fits all the above criteria and is verrry feminist. Just a wonderful movie!
I never understood the great animosity that exists between whites and blacks in the US.
This will teach your daughter not to let her plates expire (mond you, I am one who renews at the last minute).
As a general rule, I think movies should be viewable for all. Sometimes the subject matter may be too much for a child, but on the whole, when movies are rated 14+ or 18+ it is more than likely for gratuitous material and not subject matter.
Sounds like a good movie. I'm a little more liberal in my criteria for a movie, but I do enjoy a lack of violence and happy ending.
Glad to hear that it was nothing worse when your daughter called.
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