Where the Heart is reminds me of...

     What Where the Heart is reminds me of.

                                           
When I first read Where the Heart Is the first movie that popped into my mind was a movie created to entertain an African American audience. The movie is called Diary of a Mad Black Woman directed by Tyler Perry

          In Diary of a Mad Black Woman the main character Helen is married to her husband Charles who is successful lawyer. Helen believes that her and Charles have a successful marriage of 18 years but Charles thinks otherwise. In the beginning of the novel Charles receives a major promotion and states on the evening of the event  that "I couldn't have done it without my wife of 18 years, Helen" and he dedicates a toast to her. After the party celebrating his promotion Charles and Helen return back to their home. When they arrive at Helen is shocked to see all her possessions in moving boxes sitting on the lawn. She and Charles enter the house where Helen immediately demands whats going on.  Charles announces he wants a divorce and introduces Helen to the woman he's been cheating on her with. He calmly tells Helen to leave "his" home and that a moving van will be there shortly to pick her and her belongs and drive to any location she desires. Helen is shocked at Charles change of heart so quickly that she demands an explanation about why he's doing this to her. Charles ignores and in anger Helen slaps him. Charles angry that Helen hit him in the presence of his new girlfriend, literally drags Helen outside onto the front porch and locks the door behind her. The truck driver happens to see all of this happening and does nothing to help but when she enters the truck he asks her if she's okay. Helen request to the truck driver that he drives her to a friend of her mother named Medea's house. Medea accepts her into her house with open arms. Later on at a BBQ at Medea's house Helen runs into the truck driver again and discovers his name is Orlando and they begin to date. Mean while in Charles life, an old friend from the past comes to see him. His friend first ask Charles to defend him in court due to the fact that he's been caught with drugs and he's being charged for murder. Charles refuses at first in fear that in court the judge might ask him if they knew each other and how. His friend then black mails him saying he'll tell the prestigious law firm that he's working at about Charles past which involved things such as drug dealing, stealing, gang violence etc. Charles agrees to defend him in fear of would happen to his career if the secrets about his past were revealed. At the trial Charles friend is sentenced to life in prison. His friend angry that Charles didn't protect him, grabs a gun from a near by officer and shoots Charles right in the spine causing him to be paralyzed from the  waist down. The woman that he cheats on Helen with, suddenly disappears with all of Charles valuables and most of his money. Charles now lives on his own and has very little money and cannot afford a nurse. Helen goes to see if he needs any assistance, which he does. Helen decides not to waste her life for a man who threw her out so she drives back to his parents house and marries the truck driver.         

          Diary of a Mad Black Woman reminds me of where the heart is in many ways. Both Novalee and Helen get abandoned by their  boyfriend/ husband. Another example is that in the beginning of Where the Heart Is Novalee and Willie Jack seem as if there on good terms with each other though Willie Jack is a little bit annoyed with her. In Diary of Mad Black Woman Helen and Charles seem to be get along just fine but when they arrive at their designated location there both abandoned by their men. Also both women find their possessions outside. Both characters also have a motherly influence in their life who takes them in and offers them love and support. In Where the Heart Is, Sister Husband takes in Novalee and in Diary of a Mad Black Woman Medea takes in Helen. In the both the movie and the book both of the main characters meet a man who wants to marry them and they both feel he's way to good for them. In Where the Heart Is Forney proposes to Novalee but Novalee rejects because she believes he's to good for her. In Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Orlando proposes to Helen and she also declines his request due to the fact that she thinks too good for him. In the end both woman get married to the men that proposed to them. Another major similarity is that Willie Jack in Where the heart Is loses the ability to use his legs and Novalee goes to help out and in Diary of a Mad Black Woman Charles also loses the capability to use his legs and Helen goes to help him. Both stories have a few similar themes/message in common. The ones who you trust the most can hurt. Novalee trusted Willie Jack and he abandoned her and Helen trusted Charles and he kicked her out. They both found family who loved and cared for them despite the fact that they weren't blood related and they both found men who loved them.