Why I Liked Girls Trip

I am a movie connoisseur. I’ll watch movies in any genre except horror, and now because real life is so filled with violent images, I stay away from movies with extreme violence. I watch movies for enjoyment but also for knowledge. Even movies that are purely entertainment contain life lessons. This is a three-part series on movies I’ve seen recently. They are part movie review, part social commentary. Do you agree or disagree with my views? What movies have made an impact on you? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. As always, thanks for reading.  

One of my friends expressed surprise that I wanted to see Girls Trip. She knows that I like documentaries, dramas and docudramas especially about Black history which is American history. Because I am a strong proponent for social justice and equity, people assume that I’m serious all the time. They don't really know me; I do have a silly side. Being in Fight the Power mode all the time is exhausting. When I have to get out of my head, one of my primary ways of escape is movies.

I like comedy, and I love raunchy (but not vulgar) comedies. From everything I saw in the previews, Girls Trip was the prescription I needed. It was raunchy. It had actors I like and they looked like me. It was a win all the way around. So, I went to see Girls Trip—twice. And I enjoyed it each time. And I’m not alone. Since opening, Girls Trip has made 100 million dollars—the first comedy of 2017 to make that much money. This is phenomenal considering that comedies haven’t done well this year.

Is it cinematic greatness? No. It didn’t have to be. It needed to be fun, and it was! It is a story of friendship, and it is a story of love. Friends since college, Ryan, Sasha, Lisa and Dina reconnect after a five-year gap and take a trip to New Orleans for the annual Essence music festival. A trip that is supposed to solidify Ryan’s brand and rekindle old friendships, is fraught with mayhem when it’s discovered that Ryan’s husband is cheating and Sasha has the incriminating photos as proof of his infidelity. 

Loyalties are tested. Feelings are hurt. Battles are lost—and won. But in the end friendship wins. And love wins. Sounds corny right? But who doesn’t love a happy ending? With the tension and hostility poisoning the atmosphere in the world today, I needed a feel-good story.  And it had some good eye candy, too. So, I sat back, relaxed and had a good time. Everything worked. I laughed and I learned these five things:  

1. Know your worth. It's not your social economic status. It’s not your material possessions. It’s not the letters behind your names. It’s who you are where you right now and knowing that, that is enough.

2. Decide what "all" is to you. A spouse, a house and 2.5 kids is not everyone's dream. There is nothing wrong with being married and having children, if that’ what you want. But you have to know what you want and go after it. Success is falling down and getting back up again. You can have it all once you decide what all is for you? Writing a novel? Traveling the world? Opening a restaurant or just living a simple life that brings you unbridled joy? Don’t allow someone else to define your success.

3.  Know you tribe. We all need a tribe of women who holds us up, but also keeps us grounded. The women we can share deep belly laughs, cry our eyes out and hold secrets like the fat inside a waist clincher. Dina, Ryan, Lisa and Sasha were there for each other even when they had issues between them. Who are the women who are there for you? Are you there for them?

4. Find balance. Work hard, but not so hard that there is no time to play. Take time away from the duties and responsibilities of life and just be. Make space for family, friends, spouses, but also make space for self.

5. It's all love. That what it’s all about in the end: the capacity to love and be loved. And not just romantic love, but love in all its manifestations. Love is too big to be contained.