Tyler Perry
By
User:AllieCashel @timeAndDate(1276796747)
Tyler Perry started off small. His first performances took place at his church in New Orleans and from there he slowly climbed the ranks of Southern Regional Theater and eventually moved to Hollywood, where he has become one of the highest paid directors in the industry. Perry is famous for his predominantly Africanwearing Perry), appears in many of his works and acts either as comic relief or as the protagonist. Perry has explored genres of comedy and drama, but his forte seems to be his comedies, as these tend to have higher grossings. A powerful and well respected director in the industry, Tyler Perry's movies continue to be enjoyed by millions of Americans with every new release.
Popular Perry Films
'''''Madea's Family Reunion '''''American women over 35) and, perhaps as a result of that, it was incredibly successful in the box office. It received mixed reviews from the critics but has since become a favorite among fans.
'''''Daddy's Little Girls - '''''Perry wrote and directed this 2007 romantic drama which tells the story of Monty James and his struggle to keep custody of his three beloved daughters. Although the critics weren't exceptionally fond of this one, its touching and entertaining story attracted huge audiences while it was in theaters, and it continues to please family audiences across the country.
'''''Why Did I Get Married? - '''''Perry wrote, directed, produced, and starred in this 2007 picture; it is one of only three of his movies that doesn't feature Madea. The story, in which eight married college friends get together for a reunion and work through issues in their marriages together, deals with the issues of maintaining relationships during hard times, but with a fresh and comical lens. It was generally well reviewed by the critics and was the number one grossing movie in the first week that it was released. It's an uplifting romantic comedy that showcases every one of Perry's impressive talents.
* Some other popular Perry films include ''
''Why Did I Get Married Too?''
Criticism of Perry's Work
Many of Perry's peers and have taken issue with Perry's portrayal of African Americans, claiming that they are only perpetuating the negative black stereotypes. However, in a 2009 interview on ''60 Minutes'', Perry stated that he thought these people had it all wrong and that his massive fan base acts as proof in his defense. He described his characters as "bait," saying that through them he "could talk about God, love, faith, forgiveness, family, any of those." According to one
Daily News article, Oprah also defended Perry's work, saying that she saw his characters as a celebration of Perry's upbringing. She found that Madea was "a compilation of all those strong black women that I know [...] And so the reason it works is because people see themselves."
Quick Picks
Related Guides
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Comedy Films
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Romantic Comedies
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French New Wave Film
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Children's Films
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