Jennifer Hudson joins "Sex and the City"

Jennifer Hudson, best known for Dreamgirls, has been cast in the movie version of Sex and the City, which starts filming in New York next week. The casting of Hudson was wonderful news to read. But I was trying to recall what character Hudson played in the original series — and then of course I quickly remembered that there were no women of color in that group. But great, there will be one now! Except it looks like another "black best friend" role, and for an Academy Award–winning actress no less.

OK, OK, so she's not going to be a friend; she's going to be the personal assistant to Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker). (Has Carrie moved up in the world if she's now in need of a PA?) But I'm guessing that as the personal assistant, Hudson's character will be the voice of reason, give sage advice, helping to keep the neuroses of her boss under control and all with humor and a good dose of strong, sensible black womanness. Or wait, maybe Hudson will have a sex and the city love interest of her own? Yes, I know. I doubt it, too. Am I being too narrow in my assumptions? I hope so. Maybe there is more to the role than what meets the cynical eye. Please?

I do want to look forward to the movie, but I have a confession. I was never really a fan of Sex and the City. I know, I know, I have lost good friendships and the respect of many over this admission in the past. And I have had to uncomfortably suffer through intense stares of derision when I have said this out loud. I have even had an unkind word or two tossed my way when I have uttered this apparent heresy. So I do know that my opinion is not just an unpopular opinion, but may actually be perceived by many as an insane opinion! But I swear I wanted to like it. I even tried to watch the DVD sets and never made it past season two. Admittedly, there was some cute, cute and some clever, clever per episode, but at the end of the day it was women looking for men and wondering why the men weren't looking back, or if the men did look back, then the question became what to do with the men that did show interest and if they showed too much interest what to do with them at that point. It was men and angst and then some additional angst and some additional men. I couldn't deal with that weekly. And it turns out I couldn't deal with that in a DVD marathon either.

I never made it to Carrie's kiss of Alanis Morissette in season three, nor did I witness first hand Samantha's (Kim Cattrall) very brief lesbian relationship with Maria (Sonia Braga) because by the time that story line rolled around in season four, all I wanted to know was how in the world some one like Samantha managed not to have had a lesbian experience any time sooner?!

I do know that the show was wildly popular with most women and met with tremendous critical success. I was sad to see the show end because it ended a six-year run with four strong female leads. I actually enjoy the actresses and even some of the humor of the original series (if not the ongoing theme of men are from Mars and women are from the rest of the entire galaxy). By the way, the story arcs for the characters in the movie version are being guarded tighter than nuclear secrets, so there is not much to offer on that front. It seems that all that's really known about the movie is that it is taking place four years after the show's final TV airing and that's why the casting of a personal assistant to Carrie might strike even additional interest in some of the more faithful followers.

As for me, with Jennifer Hudson joining the fray (and yes, I almost hate to say it, but I’d rather there be a woman of color in the cast than not) and with out-and-proud Cynthia Nixon agreeing to reunite with the original cast, it seems I just may have my rooting interest in this venture! After all, it's a movie, and only about two hours, right? But won't it be funny if Jennifer Hudson steals the movie version? I can't be the only one laughing at the thought of that happening. Am I?