I'm going to try as hard as possible not to spend so much time bashing Tyler Perry in this blog. I'm not making any promises. I did say, "try". It's no secret that I'm not a fan of TP, so why do I keep watching his movies? I don't have a good answer. I guess it's because I keep hoping he will eventually get one right. The Family That Preys has been the closest he's come. The Single Moms Club is the second closest.
The Single Moms Club starring Nia Long as May is about a group of single moms from all different backgrounds who are forced into working together to keep their children from expulsion. The kids, on the other hand, get a slap on the wrist, and continue to be rude, disrespectful, and out of control. Their parents don't need to work together. They need to beat these kids. But, I digress. The women become fast friends, go out together, and help out each other with single-mother-struggles while discovering romance along the way.
Before I discuss the issues, let's discuss what worked. Tyler always forces a message on us. I'm guessing the message in this movie was supposed to be that you're not alone in your struggles, and if you don't talk to your kids, they'll be messed up and it will be a problem later. It was a simple message, and done semi-sweetly. I also enjoyed the plausible ending. No one dies, gets HIV, or is punished for their sins. These stories are everyday stories with everyday issues, and I felt their were real honest moments in the movie that worked.
Now, my issues with the movie and with TP: Tyler Perry clearly hates black people especially black women. It's very evident in his portrayles of us in his movies and tv shows. He stereotypes black people, and then punishes them for their behavior. BUT, he has no problem with creating more complex characters for Caucasians. Although, EVERYONE is a cliche in his movies and shows, he seems to be able to write better for white people than black people. In The Single Moms Club, there are six black male characters. Two of them are in jail, one is a drug addict, two of the little boys are smart-mouth disrespectful little brats, and the other is a silly fool. Tyler's character, TK, is the only black male without issues. Go figure.
There are three women of color. Lydia, played by Cocoa Brown, is the loud-mouth, sassy full-figured black woman who lives in the hood and has 5 kids, two of which she had at 16 who became crack addicts, thieves, and are now in jail. The second black woman, May, has a son with a deadbeat dad who constantly disappoints his son. While May seems successful, why can't she be the one who is divorcing the rich lawyer? Why can't Lydia be the successful publisher trying to make partner who used artificial insemination? Nope, he saved those character for the white ladies. Why does the white lady drive the BMW, the black man drive the pick-up truck, and the black lady running after the bus?
There are Hispanics in the movie too. Guess what their professions are? Maid, car-dealer, mexican restaurant owner, and kept woman. Seriously Tyler? Is that all light-brown people can be? All the characters are flawed except the white next door neighbor and TK, but it'd be great if their flaws weren't so predictable and more universal.
With all that said, the movie wasn't too bad. The acting wasn't great, although Nia long did her thing. But, Tyler Perry was the best of the worst acting wise which is saying a lot. Terry Crews was the comic relief, but I really need him to do something different than being the goofy chocolatey beefcake. I wanted not to like the movie, but it slowly grew on me. The audience laughed at the silly moments. Although the story was authentic, the emotions weren't, so it was a little lack-luster. Like I said in my Temptation blog, he's slowly getting better, but Mr. Perry really needs to let other people do the writing. TP also needs some couch time to work on his issues. He has a duty as a writer and a producer to tell everyone's story, not everyone's stereotype.
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