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The plays of Tyler Perry have been hugely successful in the black community over the last several years. They've grossed over $75 million and one, "Woman, Thou Art Loosed," has already been turned into a movie. So it's no surprise that another is making its way to movie theaters this weekend. Diary of a Mad Black Woman, starring Kimberly Elise (Beloved) as the woman in question and Perry himself in three different roles, is a film that should satisfy Perry's many fans but may disappoint other moviegoers.

Helen (Elise) is married to Charles (Steve Harris, "The Practice"), a prominent African-American attorney, when one day she comes home to find that he's throwing her out. A mover has already packed up her clothes, and before Helen has even left the house, Charles's mistress has moved in. Disgraced, Helen is forced to seek the help of Madea, a loud-talkin', gun-totin' grandmother figure. That Madea is played by Perry in drag (think Martin Lawrence in Big Momma's House) only adds to her quirky character. As Helen tries to pick up the pieces of her life, she's assisted by old friend Brian (also Perry), taunted by grandfather figure Joe (Perry again--think Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor) and pursued by smooth talking, good looking Orlando (Shemar Moore, "The Young and the Restless").

The relationship between Helen and Orlando forms the center of the film. It's an old-fashioned romance, the kind that starts off with coincidence and mystery, deepens over small talk and dancing, and ends up in bed. In this case, though, Helen's sleeping in bed, while Orlando takes the couch. You see, Helen and Orlando have too much respect for each other and too much faith in God to indulge in sex before marriage.

The film wears its Christian faith on its sleeve. While many movies feature a musical number from a big gospel choir, few follow that up with preaching and then an actual altar call. But as with many plays that travel the "urban theater" circuit, Diary expresses no discomfort with overt evangelizing, knowing that its audience would be disappointed with anything less. Yet, the film is hardly prudish or overbearing. Madea is proud of the fact that she doesn't go to church, and a scene of marijuana use is played for laughs, not condemnation.

Unfortunately, this lack of consistency often drags the movie down. Madea is a great comic foil--one that anyone who's had a big, brassy grandmother will appreciate--but her scenes contrast too starkly with the romance and melodrama of the rest of the film. At one point in Helen's mansion, Madea takes out a chainsaw and begins carving up a couch. The first question that springs to mind is "Where did the chainsaw come from?" but a much more important one is, "Was that necessary?" Madea has become so popular she's inspired three other plays--"Madea's Family Reunion," "Madea's Class Reunion," and "Madea Goes to Jail"--but her presence here is often a distraction.

More critical is the character of Helen. The actress Kimberly Elise has a wonderful sense of vulnerability, and it's a joy to watch her open up as the movie goes on. But about two-thirds through, what was a timid wallflower suddenly becomes a vengeful lover for no reason whatsoever. I suspect this shift might work better on the stage, but it seems random and arbitrary on the big screen.

Diary is more consistent about the theme of not forsaking your heritage. It's become common in recent years for African-American films to emphasize their characters' wealth and sophistication, but Diary looks askance at that sort of striving. Early on, Helen remarks about her marriage, "To look at us, you'd think we have it all together. But looks can be deceiving." Soon, she has to swallow her pride and return to the "ghetto" where she grew up, and it's there of course where she realizes what her life has been missing. The movie even implies that a childhood friend of Helen's turned to drugs because Helen turned her back on her neighborhood.

But as you might guess about a movie with the title Diary of a Mad Black Woman, the primary conflict is between the genders. As Madea proudly announces early on, "This is for every woman who's had a problem with a black man." Despite that moment of pandering to its largely female audience, the film features not one but two intelligent, solid black male characters. Orlando is a bit of a female fantasy--not only is he exceptionally handsome, he always says the right thing and gets out of the way when he should--but Moore is wonderfully charismatic. I liked Perry's third character, Brian, even better, though. The single, responsible dad who still cares about his strung-out wife makes for a nice subplot.

In the end, however, what works in the theater doesn't always work in the movies. Part of the problem, as mentioned, is with the broadness of the material. But it doesn't help that the script relies way too much on syrupy voiceovers. They're constantly interrupting the action to tell us what Helen is thinking, when anyone who's been watching Elise's performance would know already. Furthermore, the film's final half hour is like a ball attached to a paddle--bouncing back and forth without getting anywhere.   

J. Robert Parks  2/20/2005