I have seen Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family and I laughed until I almost cried!!! The laughter was very much needed, as with most of Perry's movies, there were some very serious issues permeating the entire movie.
Very interestingly, after considering the recent media attention to Lee and Perry, I paid close attention to the characters and any "buffoonery" and "coonery" that many Perry critics have said they exhibit. Yes, the movie does contain over exaggerations (surely for comedic effect), but I know people and/or have been around people who are just like Perry's cast of characters. I was not offended by the movie nor the real people I know who are like these characters.
Again, I must put forth, if viewers of Perry’s movies are paying attention, they will find the life lessons that are relayed in the plot lines are significant, speak to the reality of our world (especially the state of our young children), offers hope, avenues to redemption, and positive growth of the individual and family.
Mr. Lee, I applaud you for your artistic contributions to the world and the impact it has on society, particularly, your biopic, Malcolm X (for which you should have won an Oscar)! I appreciated your pointed expose on the human devastation in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina in your documentary, When the Levees Broke.
Mr. Perry, I applaud you for your artistic contributions to the world and its impact on society. Your movie, For Colored Girls, invoked a visceral reaction from me which is what I hope to experience when I attend movies. Furthermore, I treasure the laughter from the believable, insane characters in the wonderful world of Madea!
There is room at the table for both of you and I hope that critics of Lee and Perry will come to understand this dynamic.
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