Starring: Tyler Perry, Angela Bassett, Rick Fox, Margaret Avery and more
Release Date: 3/21/2008
Rating: PG-13

Synopsis: A funny, moving romantic drama about the power of love and family, Lionsgate's 'Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns' marks another winning portrayal of life by writer/director/actor Tyler Perry ('Diary of a Mad Black Woman,' 'Madea's Family Reunion') and features a return to the big screen by Madea, the indomitable, law-breaking, fun-loving grandma.

A single mother living in inner city Chicago, Brenda has been struggling for years to make ends meet and keep her three kids off the street. But when she's laid off with no warning, she starts losing hope for the first time -- until a letter arrives announcing the death of a father she's never met.

Desperate for any kind of help, Brenda takes her family to Georgia for the funeral. But nothing could have prepared her for the Browns, her father's fun-loving, crass Southern clan. In a small-town world full of long afternoons and country fairs, Brenda struggles to get to know the family she never knew existed…and finds a brand new romance that just might change her life. [Source]



I find it extremely interesting that I am seeing and hearing such mixed reviews by people who have seen this movie. I've seen it and my views are a bit more clear cut. I didn't like it. I have heard everything from "I loved it" to "I want my money back!", I wouldn't go so far as to say I want my money back but it wasn't the best way I could have spent my $9.

I am a huge fan of Tyler Perry plays and movies. I have almost the whole collection of everything he has put out to date yet I was highly disappointed with this film. I thought the story was great, it's very relatable for some of us and as always it has that element of inspiration and hope. Now that I think about it, I kind of would like to see one of his movies end in not so fairytale fashion. That's beside the point though.

The biggest problem I had was with the plot. It wasn't well put together and seemed to jump around too much; so much to the point that you kind of start to get confused by what is really going on and just how some aspects even came into play. On top of that, even though most of his movies have a sort of cheap made kind of quality to them, this one took it to a greater level.

Fortunately you have a great actress like Angela Bassett (Brenda) play a role that was right up her alley, yet you can't stop thinking "What's Love Got To Do With It" all the while. Then there's Rick Fox (Harry) who plays Brenda's love interest/ex-pro basketball player, who seemed like a borderline stalker. How is it that this man has to time to travel back and forth between Georgia and Chicago like it's a 2 hour drive? Or the fact that they meet in Chicago because he was "scouting" her son for basketball, yet the small town Brenda visits in Georgia just so happens to be Harry's hometown and coincidentally he knows the Browns.

Oh and please don't be so naive as to believe that Madea is in this movie. She shows up for about a good 2 minutes and it's such a random occurrence that it doesn't even make sense in the movie. I have to say though the highlight was definitely LeRoy Brown. If you've seen any of Tyler's plays then you know just what to expect from this guy, and he doesn't disappoint.

All-in-all I got a few good laughs but that's about it. Sadly enough the outtakes at the end were funnier than most of the movie. If Tyler would put David Mann (LeRoy Brown) and Madea in a movie together, I think he would definitely have a block buster smash on his hands.

I'm sad that I even have to say this but on my scale I would have to give this movie a Rent It rating.

P.S. the three other people that I went to see this movie with thought the same thing.

Full price= You gotta see this movie, if not you'll be sorry on Monday when your left out of the chat around the water cooler
Matinee= Pretty good, but I'd save the extra couple of bucks for a fast-food dollar menu after the movie
Rent it= Worth renting the DVD if you get ditched on a Friday night and all you have to hold is your cat fluffy
Dump it= Tell your worst enemy to go see it, chances are, they'll despise you more 



Aaron Fields writes for KSTW-TV in Seattle. All opinions expressed in this column are his.