Playwright Tyler Perry [pictured at left as Madea] thought about changing the title of his successful 2001 play "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" to "Diary of a Woman" for his new film adaptation, so that non-black folks won't be too alarmed to give the movie a chance.

The story, about a woman whose husband of 18 years abruptly leaves her, features the larger than life Madea – the gun-packing, weed-smoking, electric sliding grandmama who takes in her jilted grandbaby. While Madea-like women are few and far between outside of the African American community, the film's elements of betrayal and resilience, according to Perry, has definite crossover appeal – which led to his initial idea of making the title less inclusive.

"I thought about changing the title [so that] when you see the movie, it would open and say "Diary of a Woman" and then "Mad Black" pops in – in red," laughs Perry. "But I wanted to stay true to the brand. The fans that had been there from the beginning would've been like, ‘What did you change it for?' I was really concerned about that, so I wanted to make sure that they knew I was staying true to what it is."

Kimberly Elise and Steve Harris star as Helen and Charles McCarter, a seemingly happy couple – until one night, Charles decides that he's leaving her for her best friend. Helen is literally kicked out onto the front porch, with a U-Haul waiting to carry away her stuff. Behind the wheel is Orlando, played by Shemar Moore. You can guess where things eventually head with those two. In the meantime, Helen leaves her middle-class home to go live with her grandmother, Madea – in the ghetto.

It is Madea who has drawn thousands of fans to theater houses around the country. The heavyset, larger-than-life big mama also enlivens Perry's previous stage productions "I Can Do Bad All By Myself," "Madea's Family Reunion," "Madea's Class Reunion" and "Madea Goes to Jail."

How many more situations can this old woman endure?

"I don't think Madea's gonna get any better," Perry says. "She's at her arc. Matter of fact, she's close to her funeral because I'm getting to a point now where I want people to see me as me. That's why I did three characters in the movie [version] because I wanted to introduce some other sides of me. I wanted them to see my old man character so you're not just thinking that this is all I do."

But Perry says if the public demands more of Madea, he's happy to oblige.

"It's been absolutely great," he says. "She's an endearing character that a lot of people adore and love and appreciate, and I'm grateful for it. But her days are getting numbered here."

Perry is often asked how he is able to write women characters that resonate so soundly with his largely female audiences.

"I grew up at the hip of my mother and I have two older sisters, who I've watched," he explains. "There's nothing like a man-child, a boy-child, sitting and watching the woman he loves – his mother – going through stuff because of a man. It puts him in a perspective that makes him go, ‘Wow'. He's looking at it from such an innocent place that it really opens up a canvas to paint on."

Even before nationwide opening of "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," Perry is already committed to shooting its follow-up: an adaptation of "Madea's Family Reunion." The 35-year-old playwright, producer and actor believes he has been ordained to tell these inspirational stories.

"There is so much negativity in the world. We put out so much negativity," he stresses. "There's so much from some of the music videos we see and movies we do, that somebody has to say, ‘Okay, here's something different.' Somebody's gotta bring a balance. I think that's why I'm being so blessed with this. That's why I was called to do it."

EURWeb Review

Diary of a Mad Black Woman [****] has the character Orlando (Shemar Moore) tell Helen McCarter (Kimberly Elise), "I just watched a man drag you out of the house and treat you like dirt." That man is Helen's husband, Charles (Steve Harris), and he kicked her to the curb for his mistress. Thus begins the saga of a "Mad Black Woman." The title alone prepares the audience for an unusual display of zany, cartoonish and yes, crazy behavior.

In this popular play adapted to the screen, Helen has a lot to be angry about and the adage "Don't get mad, get even" becomes an understatement. But "Diary" is about so much more than revenge. It's about love, forgiveness and self-realization. It has subplots of drug addiction, a Dad raising his daughter and the need to succeed. And, it has the uplifting message Helen's mother (Cicely Tyson) gives her that seemed to resonant in the hearts and minds of theatergoers across the country. So much so, the play's success made it possible for the transition from play to the big screen.

When Helen told her Mom, "He was my everything," Tyson tells her, "God is your everything. Don't you know He's a jealous God?" Unfortunately, like so many other films, this one also has a farting, repugnant character that isn't funny. Tyler Perry, Tamara Taylor, Lisa Marcos and Tiffany Evans also star. Darren Grant directs. [PG-13]