Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit from A Wrinkle in Time

I was a plethora of emotions while seated alongside my blogging companions awaiting the moment Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling walked through the door. These three spectacular women are Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit from A Wrinkle in Time. I had so many pinch me moments leading up to this point – as I’m sure you all can imagine! I was seated just a few feet away from these talented ladies who had inspired me throughout my childhood. Finally, the moment arrived… I was invited as media to cover this event. All opinions are my own.

Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit

Oprah walked through the door – her aura beamed a bright light that took everyone’s breath away. She was just as beautiful and charming in person. She waved her arms and greeted us all, then quickly began interviewing us in typical Oprah fashion. “Are you all mom bloggers? Isn’t the blogging world fantastic? Look at this new, this world we’re living in where everybody gets a voice and has power and authority to speak and have what you say mean something, it’s incredible really.” It’s literally like she read our minds. Everyone I come in contact with that asks me about my job knows that I truly feel this is the best job ever. I love being my own boss, being an inspiration for others, being there for my kids, along with the many, many other perks that come along with this blogging world. Soon Reese and Mindy arrived and we began our interview with the three Mrs. W’s from A Wrinkle in Time. We asked the ladies how they hoped the film and their roles in the film would inspire the next generation of girls. Oprah quickly says, “oh I raised y’all.” We all applaud and laughed because it’s SO true! Reese continues with “A part of what I loved about making the movie that I think is also in the movie and you really feel it is the power when women are together, and talking, and not the only woman in a movie or the only woman in a board room….When we get together, we create abundance, and that’s been a driving part of my career. So I think that’s a concept that we need to put into our little girls’ brains.” Mindy concurs by saying, “Yeah I think that the cast is so inclusive. I’ve never seen anything like that and I think that as a young woman I have felt so much joy from watching it.” Oprah adds, “Well what I do know for sure is that everybody’s goal is whether they can articulate it as such or not is to live a life that matters and a life that has meaning. And I think that my hand prints, my heart prints, all over the Oprah show for all those years is a is a magnificent purpose to have lived. But I also knew when we were doing this film that there would be young girls like your daughter who would come along and they would see the Mrs. And they would see me and they would say, what do you mean she had a talk show and that the imprint, the heart print that you eventually will leave in this world will come from what is said in this movie. And so for your generation that I helped to raise there will be generations to come that will be raised on this story.” Seriously you guys, just stop and think about that for a moment. It’s so profound, and true. She has left an incredible legacy – one that will continue to inspire women, girls, even men, for years to come. She’s such a gift for this world, and I’m so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have learned from her, and be inspired by her. Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit share their favorite moments from the film… Reese mentions, “when Storm (Meg) looks up and she’s talking to her little brother who’s been possessed by darkness and says I deserve to be loved. I lost it I just lost it, y’all I was like, we all deserve to be the center, the lead of our own movie, the captain of our ship. And we do not see that enough, we don’t see ourselves enough and I think a movie like this with a company like Disney getting behind it says so much to to young people.” Mindy adds, “there are so many quotations in the movie, but one of them really [stands out], Storm has fallen down and she’s feeling hurt, she doesn’t want to stand up. And Mrs. Who says ‘the wound is where the light enters’, which is so profound.” Oprah shared, “That resonated deeply with me because I feel that is really true, that everything that happens to you that wounds you, that crisis is the open door for more light to actually come in. My favorite is when Mrs. Which says to Storm, do you know how many millions and millions of events had to occur as they did in order for you to be exactly the way you are? And I actually think that about my own life as an African American who came from slaves and that story, that journey. And I think about it for the life of everyone I meet. Everybody on the planet. I just think of what it took to get you here. I mean, when you just think about the possibility of that sperm hitting that egg…” Oh boy did she have the room in an uproar! But we had to pull it together. This moment with the three Mrs. W’s would be over too soon. Oprah continues with, “When I got to say that to her (Storm), I think there was a connection that she and I had that went beyond the characters, like how much had to happen in order for you, Storm, to be here in this moment having this lead role in this movie and us experiencing this together. It was really pretty powerful.” Because A Wrinkle in Time is based off a book, we asked Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit what book from their childhood they would like to see on the big screen. Reese said “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Oprah said it would be “Caged Bird”. Mindy said it would be “Harriett the Spy”. This dynamic trio is great on and off the screen. I can see they have found friends for life in one another. I mean these are three A-list celebrities, but they equally shared the spotlight. They respected one another. We asked the ladies how they stayed centered on set. Reese said, “we’re all very professional. Once we get on set we knew time was of the essence, and it took us a long time to get ready so we would just know our lines.” Oprah quickly adds, “But the moment she says cut you all are back to chattering again I mean the second!” Reese then says, “honestly I have said to Mindy over and over again I would love Mindy to have a podcast where it’s called Mindy’s Minute. I would listen to her talk about the news through her eyes any day of the week.” We then asked the ladies: This is a book written by a woman, directed, a movie directed by a woman starring women….do you see that as a trend that’s going to continue in the film industry and in powerful positions in general? Oprah shares, “Oh yes, in the Golden Globes speech I was saying a new day is on the horizon, it’s actually here and we are living it, this is it, we’re experiencing it, you’re seeing it up there on the screen. And Big Little Lies starts the second season next week. It’s happening.” Mindy adds, “Wasn’t that just incredible? Big Little Lies, when you watched it, it was like a mystery, and there’s the part of dealing with domestic violence,  and no one was doing anything for us until that moment.” Oprah follows with, “I don’t know how many shows I’ve done on domestic violence. I think at the time we ended it was about 127 [shows] or something. And I thought that what ‘Big Little Lies’ did in those six episodes to expose the horror of domestic violence, the shame of it, the guilt. They were able to do in six episodes what I tried to say for years and years and years and years and years and years. That’s the beauty of storytelling. People see themselves in the story, and recognize first and foremost, I’m not alone.” And I can say from firsthand experience, as a domestic abuse survivor, that she is spot on. You can see yourself in the story. It’s hard to imagine, as it feels like another life, but when you watch something about domestic violence, you are immediately put back in that moment, however long it was. It’s like you are there – in the moment, feeling it, breathing it. It’s deep-seated. But I have to say, although Big Little Lies was only six episodes (with season 2 starting soon), Oprah’s 100+ shows on the topic were also helpful and inspiring to many. It was truly an honor to say that I’ve not only met, but interviewed these three wonderful women who have inspired me in their own unique way. It’s one of life’s greatest gifts. And I am forever grateful. I hope you enjoyed this inside look into Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Whatsit from A Wrinkle in Time!

A Wrinkle in Time Movie

From visionary director Ava DuVernay comes Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic which takes audiences across dimensions of time and space,  examining the nature of darkness versus light and, ultimately, the triumph of love. Through one girl’s transformative journey led by three celestial guides, we discover that strength comes from embracing one’s individuality and that the best way to triumph over fear is to travel by one’s own light. See this inspiring movie in theaters March 9th!

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