A friend of mine who lives in New Orleans called me and told me that a lot of guys were on the radio (not sure if it was Doug Banks, Tom Joyner, or whatever) upset that they casted the guy from BARBERSHOP to play Tea Cake, because in the book, Tea Cake is described as a taller guy with darker complexion. The guys were complaining and saying that Oprah should have gotten Omar Epps or Morris Chestnutt.
I didn't see the movie last night, but I did read the book. The guys are right, Tea Cake did not have the same features as the guy who played him in the movie. Still, does it matter? Do you think Zora meant for the emphasis to be on what Tea Cake looked like or what he symbolized? I felt Tea Cake's character symbolized a stage in Zora's life.
By the time she met Tea Cake, she was more or less free and spontaneous and that's exactly what Tea Cake was... free and spontaneous. I don't really think it was about what he looked like. I felt it was all about how Tea Cake lived. She loved Tea Cake because he never placed restrictions or limits on her. He allowed her to be mentally and physically free. His complexion had nothing to do with that.
PLUS IT'S ABOUT DAYUM TIME THE LIGHT SKINNED BROTHERS GOT A JOB IN HOLLYWOOD. SNIPES / CHESTNUTT HAVE BEEN RUNNING THE SHOW SINCE 87!
