Madea's Big Happy Family
Jul 14, 2011 0:08:08 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Jul 14, 2011 0:08:08 GMT -5
So, I wanted to get out of the house and Wednesday is dollar movie day, so I thought I would go and see Tyler Perry's latest. The more I see of his work, the more I like him!
Studio Synopsis:
"Madea, everyone's favorite wise-cracking, take-no-prisoners grandma, jumps into action when her niece, Shirley, receives distressing news about her health. All Shirley wants is to gather her three adult children around her and share the news as a family. But Tammy, Kimberly and Byron are too distracted by their own problems: Tammy can't manage her unruly children or her broken marriage; Kimberly is gripped with anger and takes it out on her husband; and Byron, after spending two years in jail, is under pressure to deal drugs again. It's up to Madea, with the help of the equally rambunctious Aunt Bam, to gather the clan together and make things right the only way she knows how: with a lot of tough love, laughter...and the revelation of a long-buried family secret."
Tyler Perry has a way of bringing joy and laughter into even the most serious situations, and this film was no exception. Laughs abound, but so does a lot of wisdom.
Shirley, the aged mother of three adult children, learns that she is gravely ill. But she greets this misfortune with the unflappable positivity of a woman of strong faith. Loretta Devine: “Shirley’s been sick for going on seven years and due to her illness she hasn’t been able to manage her children very well. She’s a soft-spoken woman who relies on prayer, as opposed to hard discipline.”
Well, Madea takes care of the discipline and gathers lots of laughs in the process. She talks about “Prescripture,” a clever combination of prescription and scripture. Typical and popular use of the Bible involves quoting out of context parts that “prove” our ideas and actions. Context is almost always over looked. For example, in one scene she quotes the Scripture, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!" Then she asks one of the characters (I forget which one) if they're redeemed. Upon getting an affirmative reply, Madea continues with (paraphrasing), "Then you just beat some sense into them, and if they ask what you're doing, just say, 'So!'"
“At a time when there’s so much elusiveness about what is genuine or not, Madea is steadfast in her convictions,” says executive producer Ozzie Areu. “She's a truth-teller. She comes in with her no-nonsense, tough-love approach and gets straight to the heart of the matter.”
In all his films, Perry has a way of inspiring people to make lasting, positive changes in their lives, and this one was no exception. I was surprised that amid all the jokes ("If you don't stop it you're going to wish that the sperm that saw the egg that became you did a backstroke!") there were quite a few references to faith, prayer, and Scripture - I don't remember there being so many in any of his other movies. In fact, in one scene, as Shirley lay dying, she said, "Don't feel sorry for me. Feel sorry for the people who are dying and don't know Jesus." I don't know if Mr. Perry is a Christian or not, but there was definitely a subtle Gospel message throughout.
There was no sex, nudity, or profanity (some make-believe profanity when Madea appeared on The Maury Povich Show was bleeped out), and I don't see anyone have a problem with this movie, except maybe the legalists who would object to Mr. Perry's pretending to be a woman...but I doubt they go to movies anyway.
All-in-all, it was a couple of hours well spent.
More, including clips and trailer:
www.christinculture.com/movies_2011/big_happy_family/review.htm
Studio Synopsis:
"Madea, everyone's favorite wise-cracking, take-no-prisoners grandma, jumps into action when her niece, Shirley, receives distressing news about her health. All Shirley wants is to gather her three adult children around her and share the news as a family. But Tammy, Kimberly and Byron are too distracted by their own problems: Tammy can't manage her unruly children or her broken marriage; Kimberly is gripped with anger and takes it out on her husband; and Byron, after spending two years in jail, is under pressure to deal drugs again. It's up to Madea, with the help of the equally rambunctious Aunt Bam, to gather the clan together and make things right the only way she knows how: with a lot of tough love, laughter...and the revelation of a long-buried family secret."
Tyler Perry has a way of bringing joy and laughter into even the most serious situations, and this film was no exception. Laughs abound, but so does a lot of wisdom.
Shirley, the aged mother of three adult children, learns that she is gravely ill. But she greets this misfortune with the unflappable positivity of a woman of strong faith. Loretta Devine: “Shirley’s been sick for going on seven years and due to her illness she hasn’t been able to manage her children very well. She’s a soft-spoken woman who relies on prayer, as opposed to hard discipline.”
Well, Madea takes care of the discipline and gathers lots of laughs in the process. She talks about “Prescripture,” a clever combination of prescription and scripture. Typical and popular use of the Bible involves quoting out of context parts that “prove” our ideas and actions. Context is almost always over looked. For example, in one scene she quotes the Scripture, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!" Then she asks one of the characters (I forget which one) if they're redeemed. Upon getting an affirmative reply, Madea continues with (paraphrasing), "Then you just beat some sense into them, and if they ask what you're doing, just say, 'So!'"
“At a time when there’s so much elusiveness about what is genuine or not, Madea is steadfast in her convictions,” says executive producer Ozzie Areu. “She's a truth-teller. She comes in with her no-nonsense, tough-love approach and gets straight to the heart of the matter.”
In all his films, Perry has a way of inspiring people to make lasting, positive changes in their lives, and this one was no exception. I was surprised that amid all the jokes ("If you don't stop it you're going to wish that the sperm that saw the egg that became you did a backstroke!") there were quite a few references to faith, prayer, and Scripture - I don't remember there being so many in any of his other movies. In fact, in one scene, as Shirley lay dying, she said, "Don't feel sorry for me. Feel sorry for the people who are dying and don't know Jesus." I don't know if Mr. Perry is a Christian or not, but there was definitely a subtle Gospel message throughout.
There was no sex, nudity, or profanity (some make-believe profanity when Madea appeared on The Maury Povich Show was bleeped out), and I don't see anyone have a problem with this movie, except maybe the legalists who would object to Mr. Perry's pretending to be a woman...but I doubt they go to movies anyway.
All-in-all, it was a couple of hours well spent.
More, including clips and trailer:
www.christinculture.com/movies_2011/big_happy_family/review.htm
