Funny Valentines

I truly love this movie for all the values it processes. It shows the power of personal growth, family values and unconditional love. I love all the characters because they remind me of my family. A southern family with strong personalities.tied to the simple pleasures of life. I love the way Dearie B captures every season with the forgotten art of canning vegetable and fruits. These are traditions lost from our old generations and they are falling by the wayside. I love the change Joyce makes in the movie, she learns valuable lessons. I've been patiently waiting on this movie to be available on VHS or DVD because this is something that everyone needs to see.

This movie is my favorite of all times. It hit so close to home. I feel this movie is one that almost anyone can relate to in some way in their own life. I was so moved by the seriousness of the characters. The closeness that they shared is practically unheard of now days. I love this movie for the wholesomeness, warmth, and family environment that it intells. I would recommend this movie to everyone I come in contact with. This is a movie that the whole family can enjoy. I almost felt the the characters were right in my back yard at times. The script was so well written, and the characters made it all seem so real life. I absolutely Loved it.

This movie is an incredible journey. The characters, especially Dearie B, are well-drawn, and so real. I have always admired Alfre Woodward, but this role brought a new dimension to my appreciation of her work. I was drawn in to the slow and romantic mood of this small town and this deeply tragic yet triumphant tale of growing up, leaving and not leaving home, and coming home again. It is lovely, lyrical and so resonant of the bittersweet taste of life.

"Funny Valentines" tells of a well to do middle aged wife and mother of two daughters who returns to her rural southern roots when she learns her husband is cheating on her only to resurrect old issues while discovering new ones. "FV" is a syrupy feel good chick flick which will likely make the sentimentalists laugh through tears while the realists are gagging and changing channels. A good production with good talent, the film deserves credit for doing what it does well and carving out a particularly delightful character in Dearie B (Devine). (B-)

There are several things about this movie I liked and nothing that I didn't like. The way the movie is written, the viewer is left to conclude for themselves how relationships between the characters will play out (much like a John Sayles movie, i.e. Passion Fish, Lone Star.) What I liked most, however, is even though the main cast is entirely Africian-American, the issue of race never enters into the picture. It is a movie any race can watch, enjoy, and identify with, and not feel guilty or blame about who or what they were born. As each character came across the screen, I either knew a person like that or had been in a situation similar to the character myself. We all want a life free of complications, good relationships with our family and friends, to honestly care for someone, and to be honestly cared for. Overall, it is good to watch an intelligent, well acted black movie and not get cussed out and shot at in the process.