Madea's Family Reunion






"Love is many things, but unsure is not one of them."
~ Maya Angelou, Madea’s Family Reunion

In his newest release, Tyler Perry commands attention and makes a strong presence, both as an actor [1] and as a Director. Madea’s Family Reunion is wrought with powerful messages:  in the immediacy of the opening scene, a corporate hotshot, (Blair Underwood), manipulates and dominates his fiancée, Lisa (Rochelle Aytes), in attempt to excuse his physically abusive behavior the previous night.  This abuse remains the central theme in the movie, yet there are numerous others that are of key significance.  A speech delivered at the family reunion by an aunt occurs much later in the film, urging love and respect for one another and stressing the importance of family.  Additionally, there’s a smattering of sage advice sprinkled throughout the last quarter of the film by another family elder. Madea is a cantankerous southern matriarch, yet is a likable woman.  Younger family members, in particular, turn to Madea for wisdom and advice. Early in the film, a young girl is court-ordered to live with Madea, and Madea learns that the young girl had hooked school.  When the girl came home that evening, Madea picked up a belt and whipped the child.  Whether to beat a child with a belt is an appropriate punishment is a matter of personal opinion and not necessarily in question; however, the message in this scene was found to be in direct conflict with the overall content of the film. Still, the serious nature of several difficult topics was handled extremely well in this film.  One scene in which a family secret was revealed was particularly gut wrenching and emotionally moving.  Underlying messages challenging personal values were ever present.  Sprinkled within the very serious content of this film were humorous quips and incidents too numerous to mention, often causing viewers to miss the subsequently spoken lines. Written and directed by Tyler Perry, this movie has a rich cast of characters including the lively and outspoken Madea (played by Tyler Perry), Blair Underwood, Lynn Whitfield, Boris Kodjoe, Jenifer Lewis, Keke Palmer, Cicely Tyson and Maya Angelou.  Strong in theme and content, Madea’s Family Reunion is especially well written and did not disappoint.  Perry’s movie is filled with impressive messages, and this viewer walked away from the theatre personally affected, nodding in approval, and eager to recommend. 4 ½ Stars © 2006 Tami C Ryan   [1]  Tyler Perry plays three roles in this movie: Madea, Madea’s husband, Joe, and Madea’s attorney (appearing as himself). Release Date: February 24, 2006 Run Time:      2 hours, 14 minutes Rating:           PG13 – Mature thematic material, domestic violence, sex and drug references Cast:             Tyler Perry, Blair Underwood, Henry Simmons Director:       Tyler Perry Genre:          Comedy, Drama