Madder Than a Mosquito in a Mannequin Factory

I know you’ve seen my title, so I hope that you do not feel that way when you see that this blog is not the continuation of my fashion series. I was unable to produce that in time due to scheduling conflicts, so I interrupt my fashion series to review this movie:

This past weekend I watched the movie, Harriet, which was based on the story of Harriet Tubman. My mother and I had planned to go see it on the 2nd of November, the day after it premiered, but it wasn’t playing anywhere near us. I looked into 4 theaters and of those 4, it was only playing in 1! Can you believe that? I was honestly shocked, but my mom said she wasn’t surprised.

The film featured Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman. Erivo is most known for her role in the Broadway production of The Color Purple as Celie. (Fact: I have actually never seen The Color Purple, but I REALLY want to!! My mom tells me GREAT things about it… I say this to say: if you have it, can I borrow it?!) William Still was played by Leslie Odom Jr., who was the original Aaron Burr in the Broadway production of Hamilton. The film also featured singer, Janelle Monáe, as Marie Buchanon, a fictional woman who helped Tubman in the movie.

With this cast, I knew going in that it would be a good movie, but it exceeded my expectations.  And, as of November 10, the film has made $23.5 million in the box office. Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou, The Caveman’s Valentine) directed, and co-wrote the film adaptation with Gregory Allen Howard (Remember the Titans, Ali). Because the film is a biopic, or biographical film, while it is based on true events, some or most of the plot has been dramatized. I believe that Lemmons and Howard did a wonderful job with the film. However, others who saw the film disagreed and felt that the film did not do Tubman’s legacy justice. I will include a link to an article by Buzzfeed News that delves into the reviews of the movie instead of explaining them myself because I do not want to spoil it for anyone, but after you watch, you can come back and look at the reviews 🙂

Also, I’ve been doing daily affirmations, and it’s been going great so far. I am such an optimist, but even I sometimes struggle, so as soon as I wake up: before my alarm, after I’ve hit the snooze button 12 times, or even on those unexpected days when I wake up the first time my alarm goes off, I say just one positive thing. It can be off the top of my head or I’ll look at my Pinterest. Here’s a list of morning affirmations that I have been using lately- enjoy!

Author: Maleigh Crespo

Maleigh is a senior literary and an iced coffee enthusiast. She enjoys writing nonfiction and poetry but hopes that her affliction for short fiction will one day subside. In her free time, she can be found scrolling through Pinterest or with her beloved cat, Manny. View all posts by Maleigh Crespo