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’s entertainment empire continues its long march toward ubiquity with another installment chronicling the slapstick soap opera lives of the squabbling Simmons/Brown family. For Perry fans, who are legion, the fact that his output of movie and TV projects keeps growing larger than the bust lines of his matriarchal characters is nothing but good news. And Madea’s Big Happy Family will certainly be the crowd-pleasingly funny, moralistic piece of uplifting fluff that they have every right to expect from the multi-hyphenated man on the throne. Based on one of his popular road show plays (as were many of his other movies), this one features as big and juicy a role for his in-drag alter ego as any. The pistol-packing, vitriol-spewing Madea steals the show all over the place, whether she’s raging with one-liner insults, babbling down-home homilies, sweet-talking, or slapping someone silly. Perry also gives himself even more in-character fun playing crotchety old Uncle Joe, who has some choice observations about the obesity that’s on display among more than half the cast. The story centers on Madea’s niece Shirley (Loretta Devine, giving the only performance that’s anywhere near understated), who is quickly succumbing to cancer, but resigned that it’s God’s will, and is OK with it because she’ll soon be going home to Jesus. Her dying wish is to gather her loved ones to break the news, a task that proves nearly impossible given how fractious every single relationship is involving the lives of her children and extended family. Yes, the family is certainly big–but happy?–not so much. Swooping down on them in her bouncing boat of a broken-down Cadillac, Madea orders them together and orchestrates the many revelatory or shocking crises and catharses that finally bring some closure to the bickering. It’s done in typical Tyler Perry fashion with bursts of pop-Christian and pop-psychological moralizing filtered straight outta Madea’s motor-mouth and standup comic delivery. The men fare better than the women in Perry’s philosophical, literary, and directorial intention. Without exception, the young female characters are portrayed as horrible shrews, and their men burdened providers who require the backhanded wisdom of Madea to set everyone straight. In his own performance and in the funny, sad, or inspirational messages laced throughout, Perry is playing to his core demographic to great effect. Though unremarkable in its stylistic and technical specifications, Madea’s Big Happy Family has all the right stuff to fill the hearts and souls of all those who appreciate his very specific brand of ethnic family values. And that seems to be a group that grows with every project bearing his imprimatur. –Ted Fry
Madea’s Big Happy Family
Pinned on February 8, 2013 at 4:50 am by Diane Petty
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More of Madea.. please. I loved this film, just as I love everything Tyler Perry has done.I agree with the first reviewer, there weren’t many positive women in this film and the men did seem to be pretty lame.However, it’s a comedy, and when Madea comes on it’s laughter all the way for me. I own all of Mr. Perry’s movies and plays and will buy this one too.It doesn’t bother me to see the negative side of family, I have a family with alot of drama and negative and violent things happened to at least one of us. It’s reality for some people. I think that’s what Tyler Perry draws on. With God, we can hold on to the hope and promise of something better. That’s why I buy his movies and plays, he is not shy about sharing God’s word, even if at it’s misquoted by Madea.
A Family Falling Apart Shirley (Loretta Devine) has been fighting cancer for about seven years, but it hasn’t gotten her down. She’s thanking God for the days she’s had and accepting what is to come. All she wants more than anything is to sit down at a nice dinner with her adult children so they will all be together when she tells them the sad news.Madea’s Big Happy Family sends much needed messages to husbands and wives, battling siblings, bad behind children, teenage single parents… any family dealing with sensitive issues, disrespecting each other and keeping secrets. There were `zany’ parts in this movie – I can deal with zany for a little bit, but it gets on my nerves after a while – but there were also quite a few touching and eye-opening moments. The first time I saw this movie was in the theater. The Opening Credits shows like an animated mini-movie, so I was entertained even before the movie began. My main thought after the movie was that families really need to stop wasting time and taking each other for granted. A sequel would be nice, because I would like to know what happens with Kimberly’s (Shannon Kane) situation.Favorite Character: Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis) – she’s honest, bold and witty.Favorite Line: You don’t feel bad for me. You feel bad for somebody who don’t know Jesus.Favorite Scenes: Something’s Got to Give/Look in the MirrorI appreciate the fact that Mr. Perry brings humor into people’s lives. I’ve always seen the ability to make others laugh as one of the most precious gifts a person could have. This world needs more happiness; I know I could use a good laugh daily. Mr. Perry has created a character or two who can be a little over the top – zany – but as a whole I enjoy his work. Laughter is only one thing his films bring to my life. What I like most is the lessons he teaches with his movies. When she’s not acting crazy and going off on people, Madea shares words of wisdom that can reach my heart like a good Bible teaching. (Don’t ask her about The Bible, though, because she is not very good at interpreting Scripture). And even when Madea doesn’t play a part in a movie, somebody is going to say something thought-provoking. I don’t have many of Mr. Perry’s plays on DVD, but I do own every movie. I will continue to support his work.