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blockquote> Lions Gate / ©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett CollectionTasha Smith. That’s it, that’s the caption. I was introduced to Tasha Smith during this film and to me, she made this movie. It’s an all-star cast, of course, but for a movie where Madea doesn’t make an appearance, I believe Tasha Smith carried the comedy throughout the film. It was also great seeing different family dynamics with each couple, seeing the challenges you face with marriage and relationships. The best part is that there’s probably a character everyone can relate to. Just FYI: The sequel will not be making an appearance in this post lol.

I’m not a single mom, but I always found this movie relatable. Here’s why. The movie was centered on community. Five mothers from different walks of life were forced to work together after their children misbehaved in school. Seeing them eventually gel into a circle of friends where they could support each other, lift each other up, and give advice was just sweet. The plot itself wasn’t loaded with action, but the camaraderie between mothers was a standalone that made this movie special. It didn’t need to be anything other than refreshing and wholesome. There was comedy, romance, a dash of drama…I’d classify this movie as one of Tyler Perry’s few feel-good movies. I appreciated how this movie was relatively light and funny in comparison to some overly dark sequences from his previous films.

What I love most about this movie is the demonstration that perfection cannot always make you happy. Wesley (Tyler Perry) is a rich businessperson, methodical, well put together, and successful, but stuck in a career he doesn’t want. And as he spends time with Lindsey (Thandiwe Newton), an outspoken, down-on-her-luck janitor, she pushes him to pursue what makes him happy. 

As always, Newton plays directness so well with her raw emotions. We also get to see more of Tyler Perry’s range as an actor—the sensitive side when Wesley realizes he’s in love with Lindsey. It makes for a truly happy ending even though it’s…predictable.

This movie was released early on in Tyler Perry’s filmmaking career. The themes of family and faith, secrets and scandal, grace and greed feel very much like his hit series The Haves and the Have Nots, which came years after this movie but still showed Tyler Perry’s ability to entertain! He knows how to get a reaction because he knows his audience. Like when Chris (Rockmond Dunbar) finally slaps Andrea (Sanaa Lathan) after several scenes of her bad mouthing her own husband and putting him down. We don’t condone domestic violence but we all cheered in the movie theater because Andrea deserved that slap in the face (Sanaa Lathan’s portrayal of evil was spot-on and almost unforgivable).

There were so many other shocking moments that were slow and dramatic like a soap opera, and seeing such a different pace from his usual tone made this movie a favorite of mine. Just in case Madea is reading this: please don’t pull out your purse on me Ms Mabel, but this movie made me realize how far Tyler Perry could go without including Madea as a character in every story! 

Did someone say Idris Elba? I did. And I love every ounce of his blue-collar, hardworking character in this movie. Kinda like Single Moms Club, it was interesting to see a single dad’s point of view as he fights for his daughters while pursuing a love interest, Julia (Gabrielle Union). These two were perfectly sweet together as scene partners, and I always hoped they’d do a rom-com or some other less dramatic love story together.

It was also one of the first appearances of the McClain sisters, which was truly special. They’re fun, sassy, opinionated, but also severly traumatized by living with their mother and her abusive boyfriend. I knew these young ladies would have an amazing career after seeing them tear up in one of the most emotional scenes in the movie. Also, I was today years old when I realized their brother, Gabriel McClain made an appearance in the movie. He was the son of Julia’s blind date and the one who said, “stay away from my daddy, tramp!” Hilarious!!

There’s no other movie in the entire cinematic universe that pisses me off the way this movie does. But in all the best ways… I guess. So much of this movie was about Melinda (played by Taraji P. Henson) supporting Robert (Lyriq Bent) through his dreams and that doggone battery invention. And let’s face it, he was a loser, not contributing to bills, not working, blowing up all the electrical wiring in her mama’s house….. and then out of no where all of his dreams come true and he becomes a millionaire thanks to the woman he cheated on Melinda with. 

When Melinda knocked over that RV with her truck the first time she caught them cheating, and still went back to him, I just knew the ending was going to piss me off. But it’s one of those movies that sparks a conversation based on perspective. Some people see Robert as the victim and others see Melinda as the victim. If you’re team Robert, unfollow me now. Haha, jk.

The only reason this is lower on my list is because this movie is really, really dark and heavy, with many disturbing scenes, so I can’t necessarily say it’s a “fav.” I love the original play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange. And because the poems are verbatim in Tyler’s movie, which I would expect, it’s a bit harder for me to see this as a Tyler Perry movie. Nevertheless, I loved the fleshed out scenes and the added characterization with heavyweights like Loretta Devine, Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Phylicia Rashad, Kimberly Elise, and more. It’s poetic, dramatic, and sadly very relatable. Tyler Perry really mastered the cohesiveness between poems and characters and how even the difficult-to-watch parts land at the end. 

Two words: “ashtray b*tch.” I just can’t forget that line. And I still haven’t forgiven Phylicia Rashad, I mean Sarah, for what she did to those elderly women in her basement. I truuuuuusted her. 

Ok, so yes, this movie was… chaotic, the wigs were wigging, and certain scenes could have been edited better. Yes, people eating imaginary food, I’m talking about you. Buuuuut no matter the inconsistencies, I simply could not turn it off because it did keep me on my toes trying to figure out where exactly he was taking us with this story. The best thing about this movie is that I really didn’t see it coming, both the movie itself as a thriller by Tyler Perry, and also the plot twist. And like any good thriller, you know when something is amiss, but you can’t quite solve the mystery in its entirety. By the end, it felt like a victory watching Grace go home free and Jasmine (Bresha Webb), who started out as a meek defense attorney find her “passion behind bars.” I like it because it was different and unexpected. That’s all. 

Based on the classic Tyler Perry play, I felt this was one of the best stage-to-screen adaptations. TBH, I’m not a huge fan of stage-to-screen, and that’s why I stop the list here. Many of Tyler’s other films are based on plays and I have to be honest and say, I prefer the live theater version over the movie. Anyway, Diary of a Mad Black Woman is Tyler Perry’s first movie. I consider this a fav simply because it was proof of his potential not just as a writer, director, and producer, but as a filmmaker. It was the moment Madea was introduced to the world and Tyler Perry’s talent was displayed on a broader, more universal scale. From this movie onward, he hit the ground running with more productions, more characters, and more stories to tell.