There's so much on my mind when it comes to writing it's difficult to get it on the page. One of the things that keeps coming back is the question, as a writer what is your priority? What I mean is, do you write to tell the stories you always wanted to tell; the ones that are in your head, on your heart, that relate to your surroundings? Or do you tell the stories you think others want to hear? -The stories you think people will find acceptable.Now, this is a question that has several parts and angles and I want to address it as such - so I'll start here.
Looking at the above questions as a screenwriter - being asked to adapt a novel and you do your best. Your best turns out to win you an Oscar, Geoffrey Fletcher, Best Adapted Screenplay. The first African-American to win this award, a triumphant feat for a job well done. The novel was written by Sapphire and is the compilation of her thoughts, experiences, surroundings, fantasies, and reflections of things she has seen or been told. If you read the novel, you know that it was a difficult read in many aspects, but still it was through the pen/mind of Sapphire the way she wanted us to see it. Later, someone came along, read it, and saw it as a challenge. They read a story so compelling that they were willing to take their money to bring it to life on the big screen. The characters were strong and complicated. To bring that to the screen required the actors to reach deep inside to places they didn't know exist with them them. However, they did it so well, Mo'Nique and Gabourey Sidibe, were both nominated and Mo'Nique won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress respectively. As well as, the vision of the screenplay, through the eyes of the director, Lee Daniels, who was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Director. As difficult as the story is to comprehend, it is still thought provoking and deserved to be told. I think Geoffrey did an extraordinary job in allowing us to get a glimpse of how twisted the characters were without totally grossing us out and Lee did an awesome job in bringing us the symmetry of the visual darkness; no windows, no friends, no role models, no fresh air, just their damp hovel.
All of the above to say that as late as yesterday, I was engaged in a debate as to how horrible the film was (the persons I was speaking with thought it was horrible NOT me). The participants questioned why the movie was made. why did the actresses, screenwriter, and director get nominated for such a film. why have the only Black people that received Oscars of late been those that have portrayed roles of undesirable characters. For the role Denzel Washington played in "Training Day" and Halle Berry played in "Monsters Ball"? My answer was simple - "...they deserved it." I had to question if this is really the question that should have been ask or if that was the reason they were so upset. But they blamed the screenwriter, the author, the director, the actor, and the actresses...
My question again, "Why Do We Write?" Do you write to tell the stories you always wanted to tell, the ones that are in your head, on your heart, that relate to your surroundings, Or do you tell the stories that you think other people want to hear? - The stories that people (Black people) will find acceptable.
