Diary of a Mad Black Woman is a 2005 American romantic-dramedy film written by Tyler Perry, which was inspired by the play of the same name. The movie stars Perry. Directed by Darren Grant, the film was released in the US on February 25, 2005. The sequel, Madea's Family Reunion was released on February 24, 2006, exactly one year after the first film.
Plot
Helen McCarter (Kimberly Elise) and Charles McCarter (Steve Harris)[1] had it all: money, success and a fine home. In public they seemed to think their lives were perfect, but it was all far from perfect behind closed doors. Helen is unemployed and her husband strays, having multiple affairs. On their 18th wedding anniversary, Helen wakes up to find all of her belongings packed in a U-Haul truck with Charles kicking her out of the house in the presence of his young mistress - and mother of his two children - Brenda (Lisa Marcos).[2] An emotionally destroyed and penniless Helen turns to her sassy and loud grandmother Madea (Tyler Perry),[3] who takes her in and helps her get back on her feet. Brian (Tyler Perry),[4] Madea's nephew, acts as Madea and Helen's attorney at court after the two women were caught by Charles and Brenda for breaking into the mansion and vandalizing some of his and Brenda's belongings. (Madea rammed her car into the security gate of Charles' home, cut some of the furniture in half with a chainsaw and the two of them were ripping Brenda's clothes). He also acts as Helen's attorney for her in divorce court and during the court session, she decides to let Charles keep all the money and property provided he pays Brian's attorney fees and for her mother's stay in the nursing home (which he forced Helen to put her mother in during their marriage) which Charles happily agrees to.
Due to Madea being a repeat offender, Judge Mablean Ephriam places her under house arrest and set a $5,000 bond for Helen. Brian himself had some marital problems at home with his wife's (Debrah)(Tamara Taylor)[5] drug habits and addiction and kicks her out of the house after the last straw. Helen soon learns to grow through her pain, and is ready to move on from Charles and give love another chance when she meets Orlando (Shemar Moore).[6] Meanwhile, Charles is coerced by Jamison Milton Jackson (Gary Anthony Sturgisto) [7] to be his attorney and possibly bribe the judge in his favor for his upcoming trial for shooting an undercover cop during a drug deal.
Charles ends up losing the case when the jurors find Jamison guilty at the trial. As a disgruntled Jamison is being led out of the courtroom by the bailiff, he takes the bailiff's gun and ends up shooting Charles. Once Helen finds out about Charles on the news, she races over to the hospital with Brian (the two run into Brenda) and the doctor informs them that Charles was shot in the spine and could be paralyzed for life. Since Helen still was legally married to Charles, she was able to have Charles resuscitated, while Brenda couldn't (as the fiancee) and wanted the opposite.
After several torture tactics, Helen ends up tending to Charles as he recovered and as it turned out, she was the only one there for him. Brenda left him since she didn't want to take care of him and only wanted his money along with their maid Christina (after Brenda took all of Charles' money and had left none to pay her) and Charles' friends abandoned him. Helen at first bursts into rage and gets even with Charles, but then she ends up forgiving him and moving on. Charles ends up changing for the better, apologizing to Helen and realizing the error of his ways. Despite the doctor's prediction, he ends up being able to walk again (with a cane) after many visits in physical therapy. At church, while everyone witnesses Charles walk for the first time (with his cane), along with a newly clean and sober Deborah fresh from rehab. During a family dinner, Helen gives Charles the signed divorce papers, leaves the table to go to Orlando and finally gets her man in the end.
Cast
Music
The soundtrack was released by Atlantic records on April 19, 2005.
Reception
On its opening weekend, the film arrived at #1 with $21,905,089. The movie grossed a total of $50,633,099 in the United States and Canada while it grossed $19,104 in foreign countries adding to a worldwide total of $50,652,203.
Critical reception
Diary of a Mad Black Woman received a metascore of 36 out of 100 ("generally unfavorable") on the critic-aggregation website Metacritic[8] and 16% on Rotten Tomatoes.[9]
Controversy
Playwright Donna West has filed suit against Perry, contending that he stole material from her 1991 play, Fantasy of a Black Woman. Veronica Lewis, Perry's attorney, has suggested there was no need for her client to appropriate the work of others. [10]
On December 9, 2008 the case was tried before Judge Leonard Davis in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The jury returned an 8-0 verdict in favor of Perry.
References
External links
