There are times in a person’s life when you’re faced with challenges that force you to discover who you really are.  

This is one of those times.

As a writer I write about what I know: ability, mindfulness, joy and wellness. These are topics that guide my life.

A beautiful flower, the sound of my son’s laughter, my cats playing, and my husband’s smile are constants in my life that bring me joy and comfort.

What else comforts me? A good movie, of course! One that lifts my spirits and touches my heart.  This weekend, my husband and I watched such a movie called “The Sapphires” (2012).  It’s an Australian musical comedy-drama based on a true story about 4 aboriginal girls who, in the late 1960’s, form a singing group called – of course – The Sapphires.

The story centers around 3 sisters and their cousin. After losing a local singing contest because of the color of their skin, one of the sisters decides to enter the group in a singing contest that will visit the troops in Viet Nam.  They win the contest, and are soon off on a singing tour in war-torn Viet Nam.  And the story begins.

I loved this story for many reasons:

• I enjoy movies based on true stories. It’s always fun to learn about historical events coinciding with the time frame of the movie.  For example, I learned that in the late 1960’s aboriginal rights were finally being addressed.  The cousin in “The Sapphires” was lighter in skin color. As a child she was kidnapped and sold to a white family. The circumstances of this story brought the family back together, but at times there was a price to pay.
• The news broadcasted on television provided the serious backdrop of the civil unrest happening in The United States, including the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.  While this is an important piece to the story, it is done with a light touch so that it doesn’t interfere with the lighthearted and fun aspects of the film.
• I enjoy seeing “real” photographs during the end credits, learning what the actual characters look like and where they are today.
• The music throughout the film is fun and makes you want to get up and dance.  Songs such as “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, “Soul Man”, “I’ll Take You There” and “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” was a lot of fun to hear again.
• The groovy fashions of the singing group brought me back to the sixties.  Remember go-go boots, mini skirts, psychedelic colors and big hair?  They got ‘em!

I’d give this movie a big thumbs up, and encourage you to see it when you’re in the mood for a feel-good movie that will put a smile on your face.  One critic called it “The Dream Girls of Australia” and I agree.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2Ty4r6mvgg

“The Sapphires” is available on demand on Netflix.  Winner of the Best Feature Film for Screenplay/Adaptation, 2012, from the Australian Writers Guild; Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album from The Australian Recording Industry Association, 2012.

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