Black Women

          A recent movie that I watched that depicts women just as Reid said black women are represented in movies is Best Man Holiday. The female characters in this movie represented the various characteristics that Black Women play in movies. In most black films, producers and writers attempt to create black women that have powerful and influential roles in the movie. I've noticed in movies like Boyz N the Hood, although the women Rent the main characters, they act as motivators and help guid the men.
          In Best Man Holiday, actress Nia Long plays the ever independent Jordan, who we learn is a well established woman who shows that she does not need a man in her life in order to be happy and content. She illustrates her character as someone that is almost cold hearted because it is shown that she does what ever she needs to do in order to reach success. She later learns at the end of the movie to be more compassionate and loving to her male significant other.
          Melissa De Soussa playing Shelby represented the Jezebel tittle that Reid said black women play in movies. she also prove to be an independent woman in the movie. Like some women, she was a single mother that "did what she had to do" in order to provide for her mother. Being a single mother that was independent showed her power as a black woman but being so openly promiscuous and provocative showed the Jezebel side of her.
          Monica Calhoun playing Mia, represented the black woman that brings everyone together. Although she ended up dying at the end of the movie, her presence throughout the film was so motherly and welcoming. She showed the powerful black woman attribute of being a strong by guiding her husband and helping control the wY he perceived life as hers was slowly deteriorating.
          This movie depicts Reid's description of the roles that black women predominantly play in movies. Although many are negative there are also various positive ones. In films black women are always deemed as strong independent single mothers, Jezebels, heartless successful women, or influential women. the movie Best Man Holiday had a woman to represent basically each role that Reid said that black women play in films.