The Buzz

A few years back my Godmom, a retired library director, gave me The Secret Life of Bees to read on one of my trips home from school. I added it to the stack and it sat on my book shelf for a year. I picked it up to read. Another book caught my eye. I put it down for another year. Along came the spring, my second as a New York resident, I had read a little more of the book when a meeting with the Fox Searchlight people and a few folks from the job popped up.

We saw clips of the film - and more importantly learned of the amazing cast and I was hooked. I went home and picked back up the book and was hooked. Such a beautiful story, and as a brown girl from the South reading of times of Segregation always makes my heart beat a little faster. Some of my book club also read the book and the amazing story of lost, heartache and finding yourself is something we all can relate to.

The Saturday before the site relaunched my editors and I went to a screening of the film at the Urbanworld film festival. Queen Latifah was stunning in person, but I was there on a mission, to see this movie and I was anticipating greatness. And I was not dissapointed. The cast did their thing. Gina Prince-Bythewood nailed another film - and not just because they played my all time favorite India.Arie song that got me through high school when I though I would combust if I had to stay home another minute.

I was fortunate enough to catch up with Gina and ask her questions about bringing the story to life onscreen. I have gotten better since a while back when I would be talking over my interviee, interjecting and a little too excited. But Gina almost made me revert to that old self as I wanted to inject my two cents "yeah, that was a great scene" "I know, can't believe that" "ooohhh" To see someone doing what they dreamed of and worked hard to get to, is always inspiring and comforting. And the fact that she met her husband Reggie at her first gig out of school - A Different World and the two still have a beautiful relationship where they are a team, just makes her that more cooler.

Like Russell Hornsby and his wife. Adorable! He looks at her like Barack looks at Michelle. Love it:)

This movie is PHENOMENAL . . .the first one in months I am determined to buy a ticket and see the first weekend