I thought what I was getting into was typical Tyler Perry fare, and, although I continue to hope that somehow his potential will someday match his ambition, I'm still left wanting for that. What I actually saw, however, was something that, after careful thinking, truly leaves me disturbed and uneasy.
With THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS, he showed that God didn't really have any influence on the problems of the players involved whatsoever, instead accidentally proving that the kindness of others can get you out of a jam, if they really are decent, moral people. Certainly there was prayer in it, but I can't really call it completely useless because the prayers weren't answered. They didn't have to be, even if God was listening.
This time around, we have a whole different ballgame. Prayer is used as the main tool to try and change the course of the antagonist of the story, to absolutely no avail. Indeed, this time, the prayers go unanswered.
Aunt Bam is a weed-smoking smart-ass who claims she wants everyone out of her house. Stewart is the nephew-in-law that lives with her that's found new love in Mona. Bryson is Stewart's son who still lives with his mother Gloria (Stewart's ex) and Denise is his sister who also lives with Gloria.
The first problem with the play is the plot. There's a main, driving plot to the story, but it's the pieces on the fringe that have nowhere to go, and because of that, they're just along for the ride, waiting for the end to come. Nothing is truly resolved at the end, even as the antagonist leaves the stage.
Aunt Bam's job is to make funny and pray to fix her daughter which comes to no avail. Stewart's job is to defend his kids against his ex, Gloria. Denise is there to tell us that all is not well in Gloria's domain, and shows her resistance to her will. Bryson is there as a tool, a method used by his mother to get revenge on her ex. Mona is there to provide jealousy, I guess? But honestly she doesn't even need to be in the play at all. You could take her character out altogether and it wouldn't affect the story.
And finally we come to Gloria. She needs her own paragraph, because not only is she the primary reason all of this is happening, but she is also interestingly misdiagnosed throughout the plot. Denise (her daughter, remember) tells us about how Mommy's hitting the bottle, but surprisingly tells us nothing else about her behavior. Bryson apparently believes everything his mother says, even if his sister doesn't, for reasons that aren't ever really made clear He's just not that intelligent, I guess. Or are we trying to say he is that way because of his fondness of drug use? I can't really tell.
Neither of these children can see their mother for what she is A mentally ill person that needs psychiatric help. If you don't believe me, think about this: When have you ever heard alcoholism cause someone to willingly buy crack-cocaine for her son, as an offering to have him go and beat his own father with a baseball bat just to get revenge on him for leaving her? Because that's actually the main meat of the plot And the solution to this is interesting, at best.
Aunt Bam prays. She prays to fix the situation.
When that fails, she throws her daughter out of her house, leaving her to her own vices. Because she has to learn, I guess, how to fix things on her own.
I don't think I'd have a real problem with this if she was just an alcoholic Such a method might actually work if she was just looking for her next drink. A jolt like that might actually make something inside of her want to change.
But if you go out of your way to poison your own child just to get revenge on the father of that child That is NOT a side-effect of alcoholism, people. That is PSYCHOTIC BEHAVIOR. She needs therapy. Pronto.
It is interesting to note that Tyler explains, appearing after Gloria walks off the stage, crying about how nobody understands her (which is ironically true, now that I think about it), that everyone has someone like this in their families, and he just wanted to bring awareness of it to light.
But I have to note: It is frightening to me if that is truly the case, because what these people truly need if they really do act like this is not the teachings of God. They need psychiatric help. Praying for someone that wants revenge on their lover by destroying the life of their child is not simply a matter of passion, it is a matter of INSANITY. These people don't need prayer.
They need psychiatric attention.
With THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS, he showed that God didn't really have any influence on the problems of the players involved whatsoever, instead accidentally proving that the kindness of others can get you out of a jam, if they really are decent, moral people. Certainly there was prayer in it, but I can't really call it completely useless because the prayers weren't answered. They didn't have to be, even if God was listening.
This time around, we have a whole different ballgame. Prayer is used as the main tool to try and change the course of the antagonist of the story, to absolutely no avail. Indeed, this time, the prayers go unanswered.
Aunt Bam is a weed-smoking smart-ass who claims she wants everyone out of her house. Stewart is the nephew-in-law that lives with her that's found new love in Mona. Bryson is Stewart's son who still lives with his mother Gloria (Stewart's ex) and Denise is his sister who also lives with Gloria.
The first problem with the play is the plot. There's a main, driving plot to the story, but it's the pieces on the fringe that have nowhere to go, and because of that, they're just along for the ride, waiting for the end to come. Nothing is truly resolved at the end, even as the antagonist leaves the stage.
Aunt Bam's job is to make funny and pray to fix her daughter which comes to no avail. Stewart's job is to defend his kids against his ex, Gloria. Denise is there to tell us that all is not well in Gloria's domain, and shows her resistance to her will. Bryson is there as a tool, a method used by his mother to get revenge on her ex. Mona is there to provide jealousy, I guess? But honestly she doesn't even need to be in the play at all. You could take her character out altogether and it wouldn't affect the story.
And finally we come to Gloria. She needs her own paragraph, because not only is she the primary reason all of this is happening, but she is also interestingly misdiagnosed throughout the plot. Denise (her daughter, remember) tells us about how Mommy's hitting the bottle, but surprisingly tells us nothing else about her behavior. Bryson apparently believes everything his mother says, even if his sister doesn't, for reasons that aren't ever really made clear He's just not that intelligent, I guess. Or are we trying to say he is that way because of his fondness of drug use? I can't really tell.
Neither of these children can see their mother for what she is A mentally ill person that needs psychiatric help. If you don't believe me, think about this: When have you ever heard alcoholism cause someone to willingly buy crack-cocaine for her son, as an offering to have him go and beat his own father with a baseball bat just to get revenge on him for leaving her? Because that's actually the main meat of the plot And the solution to this is interesting, at best.
Aunt Bam prays. She prays to fix the situation.
When that fails, she throws her daughter out of her house, leaving her to her own vices. Because she has to learn, I guess, how to fix things on her own.
I don't think I'd have a real problem with this if she was just an alcoholic Such a method might actually work if she was just looking for her next drink. A jolt like that might actually make something inside of her want to change.
But if you go out of your way to poison your own child just to get revenge on the father of that child That is NOT a side-effect of alcoholism, people. That is PSYCHOTIC BEHAVIOR. She needs therapy. Pronto.
It is interesting to note that Tyler explains, appearing after Gloria walks off the stage, crying about how nobody understands her (which is ironically true, now that I think about it), that everyone has someone like this in their families, and he just wanted to bring awareness of it to light.
But I have to note: It is frightening to me if that is truly the case, because what these people truly need if they really do act like this is not the teachings of God. They need psychiatric help. Praying for someone that wants revenge on their lover by destroying the life of their child is not simply a matter of passion, it is a matter of INSANITY. These people don't need prayer.
They need psychiatric attention.