Sparkle Memories

I didn't see the original "Sparkle" when it was released in 1976.  I  probably am the only person in my neighborhood or should I say of my age bracket and race that did not. It was one of those movies that everybody in the neighborhood said they were going to see.

It was definitely a "date" movie....Every guy that had a girl knew that his girl wanted to see it and was saving up his coins and making sure his car was gassed so that he could take her.
At 18 and fresh out of high school..I had no car...I had no drivers license at the time...But I did have coin...The money from so many well wishers at my graduation gave me more than enough money and with money came confidence.

There was a girl I wanted to take who we'll call Stacy....We had been secretly meeting over at the 55th Street projects, Kissing and promising each other a letter when I went away to college....And of course we both knew that we were lying.   She had at least another year of high school to do and I would be miles away in college.

Anyway, we agreed to go to see Sparkle...She'd be ready at an agreed time...We'd catch the Bus, then the El and attend the showing downtown... Yes we were going on a date in which we'd be riding the bus...Unheard of now....Unthinkable now.....In fact, it happened in the movie I viewed with Whitney Houston and Jordan Sparks with my wife this weekend and I had to chuckle.

Before we could go on our date....Stacy called me and said that her grandmother had passed away....I was stunned...I gave my condolences and all and felt genuinely sad for her...I had known Ms. Flossie for quite some time.

So that's why I didn't go to see Sparkle in 1976....But Stacy went!!!!  She went with an older guy who had a car!!!  Oh and Ms. Flossie?? She looked pretty good for a dead woman, coming out of the STATE STORE with a fifth!!!   Guess she really wanted to be with spirits closer to home!

II-

So fast forward to the present.....I'm married now and have a car and drove my wife to see "Sparkle" with Whitney Houston and Jordan Sparks.....Ms. Flossie really is dead now....Has been dead for close to 16 years! Stacy?? I don't know what became of her....Shame on her for telling such a lie....And the guy who took her to see Sparkle owns a towing company.....

The movie was great....Derek Luke, Cee Lo Green, Mike Epps and Carmen Ejongo were fantastic....My hat is tipped to Producers T.D. Jakes and director, Salim Akil.

It was a little sad to see Whitney Houston on the screen....She died months ago and never got to see her film released.....I won't talk about plot, storyline and nuance...You have to go see it....But I will say that in one scene where Whitney Houston sings..."His Eye is on the Sparrow."...There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Today...I'm going to see if I can find the original Sparkle on DVD and catch up on what I missed in 1976.