From the award-winning playwright Tyler Perry comes the hit success Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which began as an accomplished play. Charles, an attorney, and Helen, his devoted wife, seemed to have everything – money, a beautiful mansion – the American Dream. However, as Helen prepares to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary, her life […]
Synopsis. Charles McCarter (Steve Harris) and his wife Helen (Kimberly Elise) are attending an awards banquet where Charles is receiving an award for the most outstanding lawyer in Atlanta. You would think that both of them would be on top of the world, but things are about to change. They are about to celebrate their 18th-wedding anniversary ...
Feb 25, 2005 · Diary of a Mad Black Woman: Directed by Darren Grant. With Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Tyler Perry, Shemar Moore. A couple's seemingly solid marriage begins to crumble when the wife discovers that her husband intends to divorce her.
It was filmed almost entirely in Fairburn, Georgia . The sequel, Madea's Family Reunion, was released on February 24, 2006. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Music 4 Reception 4.1 Critical response 4.2 Box office 4.3 Controversy 5 Home video 6 References 7 External links Plot
From the award-winning playwright Tyler Perry comes the hit success Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which began as an accomplished play. Charles, an attorney, and Helen, his devoted wife, seemed to have everything – money, a beautiful mansion – the American Dream. However, as Helen prepares to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary, her life ...
Helen McCarter has everything a woman wants: a nice house and rich husband. However after her husband Charles throws her out of the house after admitting to an affair a distraught Helen turns to her mother, grandmother Madea and cousin Brian who take her in and turn back to God.
By what name was Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005) officially released in India in English?
Professional film critics were mostly negative in their evaluation of Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 16% based on 114 reviews. The site's consensus reads "Tyler Perry's successful play can't make the move to the screen; this mix of slapstick, melodrama and spirituality lacks a consistent tone." Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 36% based on reviews from 30 critics, which the site considers "generally unfavorable reviews". Audience polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare "A+" grade, on a scale from A-F.
Diary of a Mad Black Woman is a 2005 romantic comedy-drama film written by Tyler Perry, which was inspired by the play of the same name. It is Perry's debut feature film, and the first entry in the Tyler Perry film franchise with this film also starring Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, and Cecily Tyson.
Additionally, Helen reveals all of Charles' friends, associates, and connections have abandoned him now that he has been left crippled and penniless. Helen and Orlando argue when he learns she has moved back in with Charles to look after him, and he leaves angrily.
Helen kicks the driver Orlando ( Shemar Moore) out of the truck and visits her intimidating grandmother Madea ( Tyler Perry ). Madea takes Helen in and helps her get back on her feet, to the dismay of Madea's brother Joe (also Tyler Perry). Joe's son Brian (also Tyler Perry ) acts as Madea and Helen's attorney after Charles and Brenda catch the pair breaking into and vandalizing Charles' mansion. Because Madea is a repeat offender, Judge Mablean Ephriam places her under house arrest and sets a $5,000 property or cash bond for Helen.
Brian kicks his addict wife, Debrah ( Tamara Taylor ), out of their home, causing him to have a strained relationship with their daughter, Tiffany ( Tiffany Evans ), who wants to join the church choir. Fearing that Tiffany will turn to drugs like her mother, Brian refuses until Madea convinces him otherwise, encouraging him to also fix his relationship with Debrah. Helen cultivates a relationship with Orlando. Meanwhile, career criminal Jamison Milton Jackson ( Gary Anthony Sturgis) asks Charles to be his defense attorney in his trial for shooting an undercover cop during a drug deal and to possibly bribe the judge $300,000 to rule in his favor. This forces the revelation that Charles received most of his money through drug deals and buying off judges.
It is the only Tyler Perry scripted film not directed by Tyler Perry. It was filmed almost entirely in Fairburn, Georgia . The sequel, Madea's Family Reunion, was released on February 24, 2006.
Joe's son Brian (also Tyler Perry) acts as Madea and Helen's attorney after Charles and Brenda catch the pair breaking into and vandalizing Charles' mansion. Because Madea is a repeat offender, Judge Mablean Ephriam places her under house arrest and sets a $5,000 property or cash bond for Helen.
There are obvious morals to Perry's stories, and one of the big lessons to be learned from Diary of a Mad Black Woman is about importance of family and the simple pleasures in life —simplicity Helen lost sight of while caught up in the materialism and social striving of Charles' world—and the ways in which women, especially women of color, can find their identities slipping away in their attempt to please or "fit in."
Diary of a Mad Black Woman also marked the first appearance in a movie by Madea, played by a heavily made-up Perry in a fat suit, wig and glasses. The character was an instant hit with audiences, if not always critics, and a slew of Madea-centric movies followed.
Fifteen years ago, Perry wrote, produced and starred in his first movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman , about Helen, a housewife who has an emotional and spiritual awakening after her husband of 18 years unceremoniously leaves her for another woman. She's aided in her recovery by a diary in which she chronicles her deepest feelings—and by her fiery, wisecracking granny, Madea, who helps Helen calculate her self-worth. Literally, at one point.
Diary of a Mad Black Woman grossed $50.6 million. The following year he opened Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.
2. "Madea"—the name a Southern colloquialism short for "mother dear" and the character inspired by Perry's mother, Willie Maxine, his "pistol in a purse"-toting aunt Mayola —made her first appearance in Chicago in a production of Perry's 2000 play I Can Do Bad All by Myself.
Tyler Perry' s first play, a gospel musical about adult victims of child abuse inspired by his own life called I Know I've Been Changed, finally took off in Atlanta in 1998, six lean years after its first staging, some of which he spent living in his car.
3. Perry gave himself the OK to play not just an older woman but also multiple characters onscreen after seeing and admiring Eddie Murphy 's performance as both male and female members of one family in The Nutty Professor sequel The Klumps. In Diary, Perry plays Madea; Madea's lascivious brother Uncle Joe, a character that first appeared in I Know I've Been Changed ; and Joe's straitlaced son, Brian.
Domestic Abuse: Downplayed: Charles slaps Helen in the face when trying to kick her out of his house, but no other physical abuse is seen or implied. Furthermore, the shot of him doing this is so fast, one wouldn't know about it if they didn't mention it. He also grabs and briefly shakes her in anger when she and Madea break into his house to get her money.
But behind the scenes was another matter. On what should have been the end of the happiest day of their lives, Charles evicts Helen, his wife of 18 years, from their house in the presence of his mistress.
Insane Troll Logic: Brenda angrily shouts at Helen that she is a woman who "knows how to get and keep her man." Despite this, Brenda was the one sleeping with a married man rather than finding a man for herself.
Everyone Can See It: Madea uses this verbatim on Brian about still being in love with his drug abusing wife Debra. Exact Words: When Madea said that half of the things in Charles' house belonged to Helen, she meant it literally. Cut to a scene when Madea literally destroyed a few things in Charles' house in half.
Forgiven, but Not Forgotten: Even though Charles apologizes to Helen for his actions and starts treating her better, Helen still divorces Charles due to the fact that she already moved on and found another man. Also, Charles changing into a better person won't nullify his past actions.
Food Slap: Helen eats a salad in front of Charles, knowing he can't get food for himself, and when she is almost done throws the plate at him. She also threw a glass of lemonade in Orlando's face after he called her bitter and brought up how Charles dragged her out of the house.
Brian orders Debra out of their home after he allows her to eat a meal when she came to him in the middle of the night.