Movie Review: Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Family Funeral”
After beginning his career in 2002 as the insanely hilarious character Mabel “Madea” Simmons, Tyler Perry is finally hanging up his gray wig and colorful dresses. For his fans, his final send-off for the character was A Madea Family Funeral, the tenth and final film of the Madea series.
The film was released on March 1 and has already surpassed its projected return of $20 million by at least $30.7 million. However, reviews are mixed. Rotten Tomatoes awarded Perry a score of 13 percent while CinemaScore gave him an A- overall. Those average to a grade you would hate to see at midterms.
I desperately wanted to love the film and support such an amazing director. Personally, I have seen all of the Madea films over the years and even watched the filmed versions of the plays. I once went through a phase of wanting to star in his productions, but alas, that excitement has seriously dwindled.
Perry’s repute has diminished not only in my mind, but in the mind of many others who once adored him. During season 11, episode 2 of The Real Housewives of New York City, Dorinda Medley sends Luann de Lesseps a quote by Perry in an attempt to salvage their friendship. The message read, “‘When you haven’t forgiven those who’ve hurt you, you turn your back against your future. When you do forgive, you start walking forward,’ - Tyler Perry.” Medley is ultimately left without a response, and de Lesseps and the others laugh because the quote was from Perry.
I must admit—I was also thrown off by the use of the quote and couldn’t take the situation seriously. The story behind his quote is actually quite sad, as it is about him forgiving his father for an abusive childhood. I understood the gravity of his situation, but the response from the show’s viewers and stars provide some insight into their perception of Perry.
Some just think of Perry as a funny man in comical drag, but I believe he is more than that. The actor has been an important figure in the black community and a relatable presence in mainstream theater. Although Simmons is often a comedic character, she typically conveys important messages in all of her films. She acts as an honest, aunt-like figure who gets to the point. In this particular movie, we saw less of that comedic relief and more of the logical thinker.
Perry plays four separate characters here, and the first one we see was new to me. Simmons now has a second brother, Heathrow, who is a chainsmoker with a hole in his throat that has also lost both legs. The jokes about his disabilities made me uncomfortable, and I did not want to laugh at them. I know that he is a fictional character who continues with activities detrimental to his health, but I simply could not enjoy anything about him.
We also get to see Simmons and the classic banter between her friends—Bam and Hattie Mae—and her brother Joe. They joke about Hattie’s cougar mentality and Joe’s creepy ways, so it feels like this will be another standard Madea film.
Her lawyer son, also played by Perry, is pulled over by a white police officer, and I could feel tension in the audience. No one has ever died or even been close to death yet in his film, so we were unsure of the outcome. Rest assured, he did not die, but it served as telling commentary on how the first thing we expected was for him to be shot.
The circumstances of the actual death in this film are very strange. Two affairs are exposed to the audience and they all walk a fine line of incest. The Simmons gang made jokes as usual, but I wasn’t too happy about the recurring mention of dying while cheating on a significant other. The excessive details in an attempt of a joke felt drawn-out.
In the end, the affair was revealed to everyone and we get that typical motivational speech. The wife explains the hardships she went through in her toxic relationship and the cheaters are given a stern talking-to about how they should treat people. The film ends with a random Mike Tyson cameo followed by credits and bloopers.
I stayed in the theater for a while after the final scene in hopes of catching a farewell message. The rest of the audience also waited, but nothing ever came. There was no conclusion to Madea’s role, Perry didn’t have any final remarks and there was just a lack of closure.
The initial hype around the film was pretty exciting, as one of the posters featured an image of Simmons mimicking the famous photo of Beyonce announcing her pregnancy with the twins. We all knew this was the last Madea film, so we expected it to be great. As I mentioned earlier, there are quite a few mixed reviews, so I suggest you see it for yourself! It was not the film I was hoping to see, but it was worth the cost of a ticket. Perry is a great director, and I’m sad to see the end of a era.