Netflix Gets The Tyler Perry Movie That Will Change Your Mind
Diary of a Mad Black Woman is the Tyler Perry movie to watch—not Madea or any of his other roles. This one has heart, meaning, and is deeply and intensely emotional. It shows not only the range of experiences a woman has but also the electric outrage of the Black woman in society who has finally had it.
Perry’s First Film
Diary of a Mad Black Woman is the first film written by Tyler Perry, it is also the only one he wrote, but didn’t direct. And maybe this is where the difference lies. Yes, it is a Madea film, the first in the franchise, but Madea (Perry’s character as a foul-mouthed no BS grandmother figure who has become world famous) plays a background role to Kimberly Elise’s enraged, abused, scorned wife, Helen.
I saw this movie when it came out in 2005, and it hit me hard as a lifelong student of Black history, Black literature, and the Black experience in the United States. Legendary author Zora Neale Hurston once said, “The Black woman is the mule of society.” She goes on to explain that Black men take abuse from the white world all day long and then come home and pile on their wives.
Never mind the fact that the Black female is also receiving abuse from the white world at the same time. Diary of a Mad Black Woman feels like the epitome of this expression, and it shows the ending results as well.
An All-Too Relatable Experience
Diary of a Mad Black Woman opens up on a seemingly happy couple, Helen and Charles (Steve Harris), until you scratch the surface. Charles has all the power — a high-powered attorney with a successful career and a home. Helen, unemployed and bored in her life, comes home one day to find Charles kicking her out and moving in with his new mistress, whom he plans to marry.
At her lowest point, Helen moves in with her paternal grandmother, Madea (Perry). Of course, there’s some silliness that ensues with Madea in the picture. It wouldn’t be a Madea story if there wasn’t, but the focus here is on the injustice done to Helen and how the tables are turned.
How The Tables Turn
As Helen tries to move on with her life, Diary of a Mad Black Woman reveals that Charles has gotten all of this wealth through corruption and bribery. When he’s shot in the back and likely paralyzed for life, he’s left for dead by his mistress, and Helen, still his legal wife, asks the doctors to save him.
Back home, Charles begins verbally abusing Helen again, but now, stuck in a wheelchair and at her mercy, Charles finds himself alone and desperate. Helen gets her chance to take revenge.
Anchored By A Mesmerizing Performance
The way this story unfolds is a perfect encapsulation of how a person can become a victim and a villain thanks to the flip of a card. And it asks us to question whether we need revenge on our abusers or if revenge will make us feel better.
Kimberly Elise does a brilliant job of portraying the pure rage you express when you finally get to feel it and when you finally get to share it with the person who harmed you. She’s magnificent in Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
Now Available On Netflix
REVIEW SCORE
If you haven’t seen this movie, and you think you’ve got Tyler Perry figured out, watch it. It might give you a whole new perspective on the inner workings of this prolific writer, director, and actor. Just look at the 86 percent positive audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He addresses much of the same issues we see in Spike Lee films (like Malcolm X) here. Diary of a Mad Black Woman is a movie everyone should see, and, fortunately, if you have a Netflix subscription, you can.
