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Tyler Perry continues to evolve as a writer and director. In his past couple of films, he’s shed the ridiculous, over-the-top Madea drag and focused more on realistic stories. His latest film, Why Did I Get Married? is proof of that.
Why Did I Get Married? is about four professional couples who go on a retreat to examine why they got married. While the idea is for them to relax and calmly work out their problems, an explosive event causes all of the marriages to hit a crisis point that then has to be dealt with.
The four couples on the retreat have known each other since college. Tyler Perry’s character, Terry, is a pediatrician. He’s a family-oriented man who’s married to workaholic lawyer Diane (Sharon Leal). The differences between the couple’s expectations of family life and devotion to it cause a great strain on their marriage. Janet Jackson’s character, Patty, is the psychologist who writes the book, Why Did I Get Married?. It’s her idea to take these married couples (including herself and her husband, Gavin, played by Malik Yoba) on this retreat. She and her husband never recovered from the death of their children, and in order to avoid the pain, Patty spends all of her time helping others with their issues. Another couple, Angela and Marcus (Tasha Smith and Michael Jai White), fight all the time, partially because Angela’s an alcoholic. And the last couple, Mike and Sheila (Richard T. Jones and Jill Scott), are having issues because Mike is emotionally abusive and Sheila is overweight.
The moment of truth occurs when a drunken Angela spills a secret about an affair. Her revelation causes other secrets to be revealed, and all of the marriages suddenly go into crisis. The characters attempt to resolve these matters (and determine whether they should they together) in a very mature, positive way, all guided by psychologist Patty. The resolution of these issues is perhaps the best thing about the film, as the fate of each marriage is handled appropriately, to the point where audiences may wish to keep the film in mind when handling their own situations.
Why Did I Get Married? stands out because it shows a group of African Americans seldom shown in film. The characters in this film are all Christian, well-to-do professionals. The film also has a strong message, emphasizing the importance of healthy relationships. For instance, Sheila, the fat woman with an emotionally abusive husband, has to deal with her relationship as well as her self-esteem issues, and it’s interesting to see this character learn to appreciate and love herself. Why Did I Get Married? is the highest grossing of Tyler Perry’s films, and from the excellent writing and direction, I can see why.
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