With all the news stories about black women not being able to find a man – boyfriend or otherwise, I recently came across the movie, “I’m Through With White Girls (The Inevitable Undoing of Jay Brooks)” as I was scanning On Demand offerings from my cable provider. I reacted angrily to the title and refused to have any part of the movie produced in 2007 that I've never heard of until recently. I went through my head what I would have to sit through if I watched it like harsh attacks on black women and our so-called attitude, attacks on blacks in general, and really bad one-dimensional views of black-on-black relationships. In short, I really did not want to see this movie and go through the motions, so, I moved on.
Later on I was at a gathering with black women, which eventually delved into relationships and I mentioned this movie. One lady in attendance told me that the movie was not that bad and that I should give it a try. Well, I was not sold immediately. However, I eventually decided to forego my emotions and watched it anyway – boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise. While the movie will not move mountains, it presents a fresh take on the controversial topic.
Based in Los Angeles, Jay Brooks (Anthony Montgomery) is a 30-year-old graphic artist/novelist, who has had a series of bad (or perceived bad) relationships with white women because he’s convinced that black women wouldn't want him. He surmises over the years that black women wouldn't date him because of his occupation, chain-smoking, lack of a car in the big city, and so on. However, Jay decides after breaking up with his last white girlfriend that he should start Operation Brown Sugar – dating black women.
Of course, we go through the dating maze of black women, who chide him about his foibles, until he finally meets the quirky yet charming black writer, Catherine Williamson (Lia Johnson). Unlike a lot of Jay characters we've seen on the small screen and large, he was not totally void of black consciousness. He knew about black history and spoke about it intelligently. And, Catherine was not a snooty, or on the other side ghetto-fabulous, know-it-all, unlikable black woman. She was earthy, intelligent, realistic, and a joy to watch.
Jay, Catherine and many of the other cast of characters that we meet (such as Johnny Brown, who played Bookman on “Good Times” and Alaina Reed Hall from “227” and “Sesame Street”) add a down-home feel that is not contrived. This film will just make you want to jump inside the screen and join in on the fun. So, if you want to be entertained, and not with the usual fare, check out the movie.
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