Thumbing his nose at critics and doing his own thing has become director/writer/star Tyler Perry’s mantra. And for the most part it has paid off. But what if Tyler Perry made a movie that he didn’t have to hide from critics?
Tyler Perry hasn’t shared one of his films with this film critic since 2006. That was when Atlanta area critics were treated to a screening of the follow-up to his surprisingly successful 2005 hit “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.” “Diary” starred Perry as his alter ego Madea, a 60ish grandmother built like Perry himself, a linebacker. While Perry wrote “Diary,” he did not direct the film. Such duties were handled by Darren Grant, who has directed just one movie (2008’s “Make it Happen”) since.
And while “Family Reunion” rated slightly higher on the RottenTomato meter (presently 27% to “Diary’s” 16%), not a single Perry film has registered a “fresh” rating. Perry’s broadest film to date 2008’s “The Family that Preys” managed to charm some critics but still proved to be a critical failure as well as Perry’s least successful money maker since 2007’s “Daddy’s Little Girls.” And “Girls,” a smaller film, likely had a much smaller budget than “Preys.”
Still, while it might have appeared that Perry’s audience was beginning to tire of his routine (rehashing stage plays and covering similar socially potent ground with each film), he roared back earlier this year with “Madea Goes to Jail.” That film amassed an impressive $90 million in domestic box office making “Jail” his most successful movie. But although the budgets for Perry flicks are presumably growing (budget information since “Why Did I Get Married?” has been difficult to procure), none of his movies could be called bombs from a financial perspective. Tyler Perry is a brand name worth something north of $30 million with each movie released—usually two per year.
But when Perry strays far from his Madea alter ego, the box office dollars part as well. Therefore, the latest film, which hasn’t been screened for this critic, while starring the shapely and talented Taraji P. Henson, will be promoted using Madea as much as possible. The trailer contains Madea calling Henson’s character a “hooker” in the presence of small children. The language and rough adult situations played almost comically with ample amounts of melodrama may work with Perry’s target audience, but like most critics, I’ve not been impressed. The social commentary, often thick and bluntly pushed, is important and Perry’s heart is in the right place. But why don’t the films resonate with critics?
Certainly a filmmaker should never make a movie just for the critics. A director should first realize his own vision and consider the audience for that vision. Sometimes, the audience is large and this translates into solid box office returns. But just because there is an audience for a movie doesn’t mean that it should be considered good cinema. This perspective is relative and dependent upon one’s taste. But take pornography, for example. Few would admit that pornography, even finely produced porn, should be indicative of the movie industry. Not that it is at all fair to compare Perry’s good-hearted stories to porn, but I believe that his work should not be the direction forward for American filmmakers either.
Filmmaker Eli Roth struck gold in 2005 with his crude and bloody horror film “Hostel” and attempted to continue that roll with an equally bloody sequel. Roth’s failure had him promising to stop making films for a while. Audience tastes had changed. So too might the audiences sour to Perry if he doesn’t step up his game.
I got into trouble with readers back in 2006 when I criticized “Family Reunion.” I was called a racist because I thought that he needed to make more sophisticated films in order to broaden his appeal. There’s nothing wrong with giving the viewers what they want, but why not give them more? Why won’t Perry aspire to make a film worthy of the cinematic medium that has made him a major star? Perry needs a “Citizen Kane” come “Citizen Madea.” Perry needs to take a risk!
And the answer to why critics have not warmed to the Perry genre might be simple: critics don’t get it. Back in 2006, in addressing reader outrage about my take on “Family Reunion” I admitted that I did not get it. “Why can’t black women have their own films?” One reader asked. I wasn’t advocating that Perry abandon his core, but I was merely asking the question I repeat here: Why can’t Perry make a movie that charms both the critics and his target audience? The answer to that question is simple: He can! Perry’s fans love him and will likely turn out in droves regardless what he does as Madea. And if he makes a film that critics endorse, he could find himself breaking the $100 million mark. “Citizen Madea” should be on his horizon, and if it works, I’ll be the first to call it a “comic masterpiece.”
