Once upon a time, Tyler Perry‘s plays and earlier films were a staple in my family’s household. They hold a special place in my heart for their comedy, family-oriented stories, and catchy music. In my teenage years, I remember watching Perry‘s Madea plays – enjoying their lessons about relationships and God. They always seemed to have a solution for whatever I was going through.
Over the years, Tyler Perry has established an empire composed of African American-led entertainment, and has contributed a great deal to Atlanta’s film scene. Alone, he has created over 400 film industry jobs from his Atlanta-based production company and has launched numerous careers in front of and behind the screen.
Some of Perry‘s most notable films are Diary of a Mad Black Woman, For Colored Girls, Why Did I Get Married?, and The Family that Preys. However, has Tyler Perry become too comfortable in his success? While his achievements and fostering of black talent should be commended, quality seems to be getting lost in the process. The never ending stream of Madea movies and Acrimony just might prove that.
Evasion: The entire plot could have been avoided
At the beginning of Acrimony, a scorned Melinda (Taraji P. Henson) is court-ordered to go to therapy as a means to manage her anger towards her ex-husband Robert (Lyriq Bent). The therapist is off camera, so we are able to focus on Melinda only. She sits, viciously smoking a cigarette, scoffing at the therapist’s questions. The therapist genuinely seems to want to know why Melinda is so angry.
What did Robert do? As Melinda recounts her story, the audience is not treated to some insane tale of lies and deceit – at least not the kind you would expect from the previews. Is this a story about a wife that found out her husband was living a double life? Was the man some sort of big time criminal? Not at all.
It’s evident that Robert is bad news from the very beginning, and Melinda tells us that! Is Robert a monster? No. He’s merely a self-centered, sorry excuse of a man…Or what R&B group TLC would refer to as a SCRUB. That’s it. Now in the Tyler Perry universe, there have been some pretty terrible men. Cheaters, abusers, criminals, and more…but Robert’s crime is being an inconsiderate bum.
In the first act of the film, Robert cheats on Melinda after she uses her deceased mother’s insurance money to buy him a car. In a fit of anger, Melinda uses her jeep to knock over his RV. The impact of the collision leaves Melinda infertile. You would think Melinda leaves him alone after that, but she doesn’t, and the film continues.
As the film progresses, it becomes harder to feel sorry for Melinda, especially as she narrates and tells us her true feelings. Robert is an inventor and instead of taking a regular job, Melinda works two jobs to support Robert’s ambitions. After the couple burns through Melinda’s insurance money, she is forced to mortgage her mother’s home. Despite her family’s disapproval, Melinda stays with Robert for 18 years. It’s pretty apparent that Robert simply settled for Melinda because she took care of him and put up with him.
The “Mad Black Woman” trope is wearing thin
The Mad Black Woman is a reoccurring character in the Tyler Perry universe. Melinda is the latest and the most extreme. Tyler Perry has been using variations of Melinda for years, and it’s no longer entertaining. We’ve seen the Mad Black Woman in Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Why Did I Get Married (and its sequel), Madea’s Family Reunion, and a few more. Sure, it was great to see horrible men get their comeuppance and the woman gain joy through a relationship, but how many times must we go through with this? It’s a formula that is profitable, but has become tiresome.
(Spoilers ahead)
For generations, mental illness has been treated as a stigma among black communities. Often it’s dismissed as nothing serious, or if it is severe (as in Melinda’s case) it’s just called “crazy”. The therapist suggests that Melinda may have Borderline Personality Disorder, but its swiftly pushed aside. This really would have been a great opportunity to expand more, but we see Melinda lose all control. In the end, she loses her life. What message is this supposed to give audiences?
Acrimony: Tyler Perry can do better, and Taraji P. Henson deserves better
The charm of Tyler Perry‘s earlier films are the fact that they were not afraid to connect with the audience. The films portrayed complex issues within the black community and provided positive representation. In the past couple of years, Tyler Perry has gotten a bit too comfortable. A lot of his films as of late seem to be quick cash grabs because he knows he has a fan base that will support him no matter what.
Based on his previous work, Perry can do better, and his actors deserve better too, especially Taraji P. Henson. She’s a fine actress who glows on the big screen. Her acting is top notch in Acrimony, but even she couldn’t save the convoluted plot and the writing. She deserves more projects that are worthy of her talent.
In a time where black creators are gaining more opportunity and stepping up to the plate, black audiences are no longer settling for sub-par entertainment. You can’t just support something because it’s black. It has to actually be good too.
How did you feel about Acrimony? How does it compare to Tyler Perry’s previous work?
Acrimony began it’s theatrical release in the US and Canada (limited) on March 30th. For more release information, you can check the IMDB page.
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