Womanist and Black Feminist Responses to Tyler Perry's Productions

L. Manigault-Bryant, T. Lomax, C. Duncan, L. Manigault-Bryant, T. Lomax, C. Duncan

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781137429568
• Topic: Ciencias sociales
• Subtopic: Feminismo y teoría feminista

Tyler Perry has made over half a billion dollars through the development of storylines about black women, black communities and black religion. Yet, a text that responds to his efforts from the perspective of these groups does not exist.

Part I

Filmography

This section provides a complete list of Tyler Perry’s plays, films, and television series, and brief plot summaries of the films engaged in the anthology (see also table P1.1, page 24).

Films

^*Diary of a Mad Black Woman (Lionsgate, February 2005)

*Madea’s Family Reunion (Lionsgate, February 2006)

*Daddy’s Little Girls (Lionsgate, February 2007)

*Why Did I Get Married (Lionsgate, October 2007)

*Meet the Browns (Lionsgate, March 2008)

*The Family That Preys (Lionsgate, September 2008)

*Madea Goes to Jail (Lionsgate, February 2009)

*I Can Do Bad All by Myself (Lionsgate, September 2009)

*Why Did I Get Married Too? (Lionsgate, April 2010)

*For Colored Girls (Lionsgate, November 2010)

*Madea’s Big Happy Family (Lionsgate, April 2011)

Good Deeds (Lionsgate, February 2012)

*Madea’s Witness Protection (Lionsgate, June 2012)

Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (Lionsgate, March 2013)

Tyler Perry Presents: Peeples (Lionsgate, May 2013)

A Madea Christmas (Lionsgate, December 2013)

Single Moms Club (Lionsgate, March 2014)

Stage Plays

“I Know I’ve Been Changed” (1992)

“I Can Do Bad All by Myself” (1998)

“Diary of a Mad Black Woman” (2001)

“Madea’s Family Reunion” (2002)

“Madea’s Class Reunion” (2003)

“Why Did I Get Married” (2004)

“Meet the Browns” (2004)

“Madea Goes to Jail” (2005)

“What’s Done in the Dark” (2006)

“The Marriage Counselor” (2008)

“Laugh to Keep from Crying” (2009)

“Madea’s Big Happy Family” (2010)

“The Haves and the Have Nots” (2011)

“A Madea Christmas” (2011)

Television Series

“Tyler Perry’s House of Payne”

(Turner Broadcasting, June 2006 to August 2012)

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns”

(Turner Broadcasting, January 2009 to November 2011)

“Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse”

(Turner Broadcasting, November 2011 to July 2012, Oprah Winfrey Network, Fall 2013-)

“The Haves and the Have Nots”

(Oprah Winfrey Network, May 2013 to present)

“Love Thy Neighbor”

(Oprah Winfrey Network, May 2013 to present)

Diary of a Mad Black Woman (Lionsgate, February 2005)

Written by Tyler Perry, Produced by Rueben Cannon, and Directed by Darren Grant

Tyler Perry’s first full-length feature film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, tells the story of Helen McCarter (Kimberly Elise), who after 18 years of marriage to Charles, a successful attorney, (Steve Harris), finds herself at a literal crossroads. Narrated through Helen’s personal diary, we discover that Charles and Helen’s relationship was built upon his attainment of professional success and Helen’s unconditional support. On the night of their anniversary, Helen is violently confronted by Charles’s marital dissatisfaction: she learns of his extramarital affair, that he has fathered children out of wedlock, and is subsequently physically removed from their home. After literally being thrown out, Helen is transported from their bucolic estate by Orlando (Shemar Moore), a blue-collar factory worker, to her grandmother Madea’s (Tyler Perry) home on the other, less opulent side of town. Through her cousin Brian (Tyler Perry), Helen and Orlando reconnect and begin a courtship that leads to her newfound sense of self. Although Helen’s relationship with Orlando becomes complicated when Charles is seriously injured in a crime of vengeance and Helen chooses to be his caretaker, it is through her time away from her tumultuous marriage that Helen fully realizes her self-worth. With the support of her cousin Brian, matriarchs Madea and Myrtle (Cicely Tyson), and a return to the black church, Helen discovers what is most important. For Helen, independence, faith, and a reliance on family grant her the ability to love herself and others anew.

Madea’s Family Reunion (Lionsgate, February 2006)

Produced by Tyler Perry and Reuben Cannon, Written and Directed by Tyler Perry

“Be a good wife, do what the man says, and you won’t have any problems.” These words from Victoria Breaux (Lynn Whitfield) to her daughter Lisa (Rochelle Ayetes) capture the troubles and stakes of Madea’s Family Reunion. Lisa, who is engaged to Carlos (Blair Underwood), struggles with meeting the demands of her fiancé and her mother, who expect her to comply with Carlos’s physical and emotional abuse. Victoria is also a great source of tension in the film for Lisa and her sister Vanessa (Lisa Arrindell Anderson). Vanessa, a single mother of two, suffers from the traumas of past relationships and sexual abuse she faced as a child, until she meets Frankie (Boris Kodjoe), whose persistence facilitates her healing and gives her hope for another chance at love. At the heart of the film is the upcoming Simmons reunion to be held at the family homestead in Georgia. The reunion, which is organized by Madea (Tyler Perry), galvanizes multiple generations to understand the importance of family, history, respect, and mutual appreciation. Among the newest family members is Nikki (Keke Palmer), a troubled teenager who is taken under Madea’s wing through foster care. Pivotal to the reunion are matriarchs Madea, Myrtle (Cicely Tyson), May (Maya Angelou), and Aunt Ruby (Georgia Allen), who through their own stories and revelations about faith in God remind the family to stay rooted in their history.

Daddy’s Little Girls (Lionsgate, February 2007)

Produced by Tyler Perry and Reuben Cannon, Written and Directed by Tyler Perry

Burdened by a tumultuous past, Monty (Idris Elba) is a mechanic struggling to balance life as a single father with his dream of owning a garage. After picking up a second job to make ends meet, Monty meets Julia Rossmore (Gabrielle Union), a demanding, prominent attorney who has had less success with love. Despite significant class and educational differences, Monty and Julia struggle to hold onto their blossoming relationship while balancing their distinct worlds. Monty’s newfound life becomes threatened when his daughters’ mother, Jennifer (Tasha Smith), is temporarily granted custody after bringing up his shaded past. “Daddy’s Little Girls” Sierra, Lauryn and China (The McClain Sisters), risk being little girls no longer when Jennifer exposes them to drugs, abuse, neglect, and the dangers of gang-related street violence. Monty risks everything to save his girls from the lifestyle their mother has chosen, including his relationship with Julia. With the help of community elders Aunt Rita (Cassie Davis), Willie (Louis Gossett Jr.), and vocal community members, however, Monty discovers that some risks are worth the fight.

Why Did I Get Married (Lionsgate, October 2007)

Produced by Reuben Cannon and Tyler Perry, Written and Directed by Tyler Perry

Diane is overworked

Shelia is overweight

Angela is over the top

Patricia is overly perfect

When four couples spend a weeklong retreat together at a ski resort they learn more than they bargained for about themselves, their friendships, and their marriages. As the examples in Dr. Patricia Agnew’s (Janet Jackson) best-selling book Why Did I Get Married?, Patricia and her seven closest friends reveal each other’s marital problems and secrets: Patricia and her husband Gavin (Malik Yoba) strive to heal from the tragic death of their infant son; Terry (Tyler Perry) and Diane (Sharon Leal) wrestle with balancing their relationship with their high-powered careers; Sheila (Jill Scott) and Mike (Richard T. Jones) struggle with the ways physical appearance and infidelity plague their relationship; Angela (Tasha Smith) and Marcus (Michael J. White), grapple with finances, trust, and “baby mama drama.” With the impact of these revelations, each couple is forced to weigh the pros and cons, and decide what, if anything, they can do to save their marriages. Through each other’s support, they find the true source of strength when they have hit rock bottom. Yet, it is ultimately their individual answers to the question “Why did I get married?” that determines whether they will dissolve their unions, heal from their wounds, or learn from their mistakes.

Meet the Browns (Lionsgate, March 2008)

Produced by Reuben Cannon and Tyler Perry, Written and Directed by Tyler Perry

Meet the Browns presents the story of Brenda (Angela Bassett), a single mother struggling to take care of her three children in Chicago. When she loses her job at a local plant, Brenda becomes desperate to make ends meet. Despite her economic challenges, she discourages her teenage son Michael (Lance Gross) from helping her to support their home, and instead encourages him to focus on academic achievement. Brenda’s life takes an unexpected turn when she learns that her father has passed away and is invited to the funeral. Although reluctant to attend, after several days without food and lights and an argument with Michael’s father about child support, Brenda is encouraged to go to Georgia to see her family at the behest of her coworker Cheryl (Sofia Vergara). Brenda and the kids take the bus south, where she meets Mr. Brown (David Mann) and his daughter Cora (Tamela Mann). Although Brenda’s new familial connections are hotly contested by her sister Vera (Jennifer Lewis), her brothers Mr. Brown and L. B. (Frankie Faison), and a host of family secrets, she begins to carve out her own place in the family. Through the encouragement of her cousin Will (Lamman Rucker), Brenda comes to learn the importance of family support and forges a new relationship. Her love interest, Harry (Rick Fox), is a local basketball coach who had previously recruited her son Michael in Chicago. Although Brenda continues to nurture her relationship with Harry and is slowly welcomed into the Brown clan, upon returning to Chicago, she is faced with a series of tragedies that leave her children in grave danger. Brenda must decide if she can really make it on her own, or if she should return to the support of her family.

The Family That Preys (Lionsgate, September 2008)

Produced by Reuben Cannon and Tyler Perry, Written and Directed by Tyler Perry

After four years of marriage, Andrea (Sanaa Lathan), a finance expert, appears unhappy in her covenant with Chris (Rockmond Dunbar), a construction worker. While her mother Alice (Alfre Woodard) and sister Pam (Taraji P. Henson) run the family diner, Andrea selfishly focuses on attaining wealth to maintain a lavish life. Chris has big dreams to start his own construction company through the support of Andrea’s employer, Cartwright Enterprises, but Andrea is discouraging of his efforts. At the same time, Pam encourages her husband Ben (Tyler Perry) to think big about the possibilities in his career as Chris’s partner. Their familial struggles are interlaced with Charlotte’s (Kathy Bates) drama at Cartwright Enterprises, where she is the CEO, and faces expulsion at the hands of her son William (Cole Hauser). When Abby (Robin Givens), a highly qualified finance specialist, is hired by Charlotte onto the company’s board, William’s jealousy, life-shattering family revelations, and Charlotte’s untimely illness simultaneously circulate in a host of drama and secrets. Charlotte and Alice have been lifelong friends, and together deal with these significant changes. Alice and Charlotte find memorable treasures on their road trip to salvation, but what awaits them at home is a tangle of turmoil that they will have to pray their way out of.

Madea Goes to Jail (Lionsgate, February 2009)

Produced by Reuben Cannon and Tyler Perry, Written and Directed by Tyler Perry

In this film adaptation of one of Tyler Perry’s most popular stage plays, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Hardaway (Derek Luke) finds himself between a rock and a hard place when the case for an old college friend, Candace Washington (Keisha Knight Pulliam), a young prostitute, ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Introduction
• Part I   Filmography
• Part II   Theology, Spirituality, and Black Popular Religious Imaginations
• Part III   Theorizing Intersecting Identities and (Re)Envisioning Black Womanhood
• Part IV   The Politics of Performance
• Part V   Black Women as Religio-Cultural Capital
• Select Bibliography
• Notes on Contributors
• Index