Movie Reviews
Color Blind: Actors Prey for a Chance to Work with Tyler Perry
Armond Richards |
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 Many people do not and will never truly comprehend the complexities of the film industry. They will just go to the theater to watch their favorite book turned into a feature film like always and reap the benefits of months--if not years--of hard work. They don’t know the hardships of the writer, creating universes and characters from some muse or other random inspiration. They don’t completely fathom the raucous anxiety of the producer, as they are often forced to stifle creativity in order to save on finances. They have never felt the burden of the director, as he must turn words into reality using only his mind’s perception and hundreds of workers who are often responsible for the minute details of a film. Then, of course, there are the actors, who must knowingly relinquish their own sense of identity in order to become someone else entirely, often becoming someone who they themselves would never want to be. Now that you have some very loose and basic ideas of what it takes to make a movie, try being the person to take on all those roles simultaneously. If you can possibly grasp the concept, then you will have some minor comprehension of what it is like to be Tyler Perry.
With his sixth feature film now in theaters, Tyler Perry has moved from cultural icon to cinema superstar in a matter of a few years. Those who have had the privilege of working with Perry have come away from each film with a deeper understanding of what it is like to be one of the hardest working men in Hollywood, and they find admiration when they see that his success has not affected Perry’s sense of who he is.
 “My experience working with Tyler was absolutely fantastic. The guy is probably one of the hardest working men I have ever been around,” said Cole Hauser, who stars in Perry’s latest feature film, The Family That Preys, opposite Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard. “As I was watching him work, I was thinking that he was one of the top guys I have ever worked with.”
Tyler Perry has come out over the last few years heralding the exposure of the “black story.” He does something a little different in his latest feature, though. What is it? The Family That Preys stars a couple of Caucasians. If I remember his other films correctly (and I think I do), there isn’t a single white person in them. If there are some white people lurking within the frame, then they don’t have any speaking lines. He did cast Latin beauty Sofia Vergara in his 2008 film Meet the Browns, but still no one of European descent. You know, it’s funny; just when you think you know someone, they throw you a curve ball.
Perry casts three noted Caucasian actors in The Family That Preys: KaDee Strickland, who is a regular on ABC’s “Private Practice;” Cole Hauser, who starred in the films School Ties and Dazed and Confused; and Oscar winner Kathy Bates. It appears that Perry has elevated himself from the position of cinematic champion of African-American films to just a champion of films. Producer Reuben Cannon sees The Family That Preys not only as a departure for Perry, but also as an exciting and daring creative move for the young filmmaker.
 “Tyler’s audience expands with each new film,” said Cannon, “and they join him on his journey and the journey of the characters.”
It was actually Cannon’s idea to cast Bates and Woodard in the film, but Perry was uncertain that they would want to be a part of his little production.
“I just thought, there’s no way Academy Award-winning actress Kathy Bates--the Misery woman--will do my film,” recalled an ecstatic Perry.
His expectations were far exceeded as both Bates and Woodard decided to join the cast. It could be that Tyler Perry features are becoming hot commodities in the film industry, but I think the reason these two actresses decided to join the production was a bit deeper than that. I believe it was Sanaa Lathan who explained it best.
“I love the way the Tyler writes. He writes great women,” explained a grateful Lathan. “Not only great in a sense of strong women, but complex women. For me, I’ve been lucky enough to play romantic roles, but the fun of acting is to be able to stretch into things I haven’t done before.”
 Well, let me be the first to tell you that Perry certainly made Lathan stretch as an actress, even though she plays one of Alfre Woodard’s children for the third time (the first two being 2000’s Love & Basketball and 2006’s Something New). This time, though, Lathan plays Andrea, a spoiled, ungrateful, dishonest little bitch that needs a life adjustment by any means necessary. Count on Perry to write in that swift life adjustment and get ready to either cringe or clap.
There are plenty of other excellent black directors who have done their part to get African-Americans’ stories out into the world: John Singleton expresses the societal troubles of inner-city youths; Spike Lee gives audiences the heartbreaking tales of African-Americans done wrong and how they deal with it. But there is something about Tyler Perry’s work that is so genuine that it crosses over into all demographics with the least amount of coercion. In all honesty, a lot of audiences like to watch gangs shooting at one another for the most insignificant of reasons. Some even like to watch Lee’s epics as he explores every wrongdoing ever done to African-Americans. A Perry feature? He shows how African-Americans are the same as everyone else: no better and no different. We smile. We laugh. We love. We cry. And we hate just like all other cultures. Perry shows that we are not racially divided, but racially untied. After all, they don’t call it the human race for nothing.
The Family That Preys is now playing in theaters.
For more information, visit familythatpreysmovie.com.
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