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(About Our Ads) "TYLER PERRY'S MEET THE BROWNS" (2008) (Angela Bassett, Rick Fox) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Extreme None Heavy Minor Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None None *Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Minor Heavy Heavy Heavy QUICK TAKE: Dramedy: A single mom takes her family to attend the funeral of the father she never knew and ends up meeting his family. PLOT: It's tough making ends meet for Brenda (ANGELA BASSETT), a single mom trying to raise her three kids -- talented high school basketball player Michael (LANCE GROSS) and his younger sisters Tosha (CHLOE BAILEY) and Lena (MARIANA TOLBERT) -- in the Chicago projects where they live. Michael's biological father, Michael, Sr. (PHILLIP EDWARD VAN LEAR), a construction worker, is of no help as he refuses to pay child support. Things get worse for Brenda and her outspoken friend and coworker, Cheryl (SOFIA VERGARA), when the plant they work in abruptly shuts down, and then when the electric company shuts off Brenda's power. Even so, she tries to be the best mom she can, even when there's barely enough food to get by and no money for daycare. All of which means she doesn't want Michael hanging out with his drug dealer friend Calvin (KRISTOPHER LOFTON), and blows off former pro basketball player and current scout Harry (RICK FOX) when he comes knocking, interested in Michael and his on-court talent. Brenda's life would seem to hit its nadir when she receives news that her father has passed away. Yet, the fact that she never knew or even met the man results in that development not even making her top list of lifelong disappointments. Even so, Cheryl convinces her that she should go to the funeral in the off chance that something was left for her in the will. Thus, Brenda packs up the kids and heads for a small town in Georgia where they meet her father's other family, the Browns. They include her half-siblings Sarah (MARGARET AVERY) and her husband L.B. (FRANKIE FAISON); rancorous, highly opinionated and functioning alcoholic Vera (JENIFER LEWIS) and her gynecologist son Will (LAMMAN RUCKER); the outrageous in dress and behavior LeRoy Brown (DAVID MANN) who's prone to spewing one malapropism after another; and his widowed, single mom daughter, Cora (TAMELA MANN). To her surprise, Brenda also runs into Harry once again, as he knows the family and lives nearby. Cautious about all men after being burned too many times in her life, she blows off his romantic overtures, but reluctantly allows him to help mentor Michael's basketball future. From that point on, Brenda tries to do what's right for her kids, all while dealing with an extended family she never knew she had. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Fans of Tyler Perry's work might want to - otherwise it's not that likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For drug content, language including sexual references, thematic elements and brief violence. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ANGELA BASSETT plays a single mom living in the Chicago projects with her three kids, all fathered by different men. She tries to do what's right for them, but is struggling due to not having enough money to feed them properly, pay for daycare, or keep the electricity on, especially when she loses her job due to no fault of her own. Having been burned by most men in her past, she's resistant to allow Harry near her heart, and is sporadically cautious about allowing him access to Michael for his basketball talents. Upon learning of the death of the father she never knew, she then meets the half family she never knew she had. LANCE GROSS plays her teenage son, a talented basketball player and good older brother to his younger sisters. Yet, with the family facing financial difficulties, he briefly delves in dealing dope with his friend Calvin. RICK FOX plays a former pro basketball player who's seen Michael play and wants to help him make the right choices. He also becomes romantically drawn to Brenda and repeatedly tries to prove he's a good guy, doing her and her family various favors. We also hear that he lost his wife and kids due to his past gambling problems. JENIFER LEWIS plays Brenda's half-sister, a rancorous, highly opinionated and functioning alcoholic who has no problem speaking her mind with a drink in her hand. DAVID MANN plays her brother, prone to saying malapropisms when not dressing and/or behaving outrageously (played for laughs). MARGARET AVERY plays their far more reserved sister who's similarly dealing with their father's death and news that Brenda is the half-sister they never knew existed. FRANKIE FAISON plays her equally reserved husband, although he becomes fed up with LeRoy and Vera's antics at the funeral. SOFIA VERGARA plays Brenda's best friend and coworker in Chicago. She's noted as being bipolar and is prone to outbursts (verbal and physical). She shows a lot of cleavage and briefly smokes a joint. LAMMAN RUCKER plays Vera's son, a handsome gynecologist. TAMELA MANN plays LeRoy's adult daughter, a widow and thus single mom. MARIANA TOLBERT and CHLOE BAILEY play Brenda's daughters, with the latter upset about not having enough food at home and then eating too much at Sarah's house. KRISTOPHER LOFTON plays Michael's friend who lives an expensive lifestyle due to being a drug dealer. He tries to get Michael in on the action, but understands when he wants out. PHILLIP EDWARD VAN LEAR plays Michael's biological father, a deadbeat construction worker who's barely ever seen him and doesn't pay any child support. When Brenda pleads for money from him, he wants sex in exchange. All-in-all, he's a scumbag. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this dramedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of a partial "f" word (used with "mother"), while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Some non-explicit, sexually related dialogue is present (including about a woman's children all having different fathers), as are varying amounts of cleavage (sometimes a lot), while a deadbeat biological father will give the mother of his child money only in exchange for sex (she turns him down). Violence includes a drug dealer shooting someone in the back from a distance (no blood, and the person is okay after unseen surgery and a hospital stay), and a woman throwing a brick that hits a man on the back, while an older woman beats up a cop while being arrested at gunpoint following a highway chase. Drug use (pot), apparent possession (pot), several instances of dealing, and related comments occur in several scenes. One character drinks enough that she could termed a functioning alcoholic, while there's brief, miscellaneous smoking. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while tense family material (including a deadbeat biological father) is also present. Some behavior (mainly goofy malapropisms and overacting -- all regarding the same character, but also a teen deciding to deal drugs to make money) might be enticing for some kids to imitate, while various thematic issues are also present. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Cheryl makes a joke about giving Brenda a "joint loan" and then makes the common gesture for smoking a joint. Cheryl smokes a joint, outside during the day. Brenda comments about knowing that Calvin deals dope and she tells Michael to stay away from him. About a cake, Vera asks if it has any rum in it. There's a comment about Vera's drinking. Vera has a drink. Vera wants a piece of rum cake. Vera has a drink. Vera has a drink in another scene. We see a miscellaneous person drinking from a brown paper bag in the background of a shot. Michael then meets with Calvin about dealing drugs, and despite Harry trying to dissuade him, Michael apparently does (we don't see any of his dealing, but do see Calvin sell some drugs to a miscellaneous person). We see Calvin do another drug deal. Harry and Brenda have wine with a meal. Seen on TV news footage and then in person, Cora's mom (Madea) leads many police cars on a highway chase. The old man in the car with her then throws bags of pot out the window. There's outtake footage of LeRoy and Cora talking about her mom leading police on a highway car chase. LeRoy thinks Madea might be on PPD (a malapropism for PCP), equating that to cocaine, and Cora asks about LSD. BLOOD/GORE None. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Calvin is a young drug dealer who lures Michael into that lifestyle (but does understand when he wants out). Some other drug dealers aren't happy with such activity in what they think is their turf, resulting in one of them shooting Michael in the back as he tries to run away (after surgery and a stay in the hospital, he's okay). Michael Sr. is a deadbeat dad who refuses to pay child support for fathering Michael with Brenda, laughs at her when she comes asking for that money, and later agrees to give that to her in exchange for sex (she refuses, saying she doesn't sleep with men for money). He replies that her mother did, and that he bets Brenda wishes she had used the $200 he gave her in the past to have an abortion (regarding Michael). When Michael is shot (but survives), Michael Sr. arrives at the hospital and tells Brenda that he isn't paying for any funeral. He later tries to bask in his son's glory of landing a pro basketball contract. Vera has a rancorous personality (probably fueled in part by her alcoholism) and doesn't like and is suspicious of Brenda, while also making various demeaning comments about Cora being overweight (saying she's blocking out the light, etc.). She also fuels Brenda's suspicions about Harry's motives regarding her and Michael. Distrustful of men, Brenda kicks Harry out of her and Michael's lives, despite the constant generosity he has shown them (she thinks he's trying to profit off Michael, but later learns that's not the case). We see executives literally fleeing the scene of a plant they've closed, without paying their workers, including Brenda and Cheryl. Mad about how Michael Sr. has treated Brenda (not paying for child support), Cheryl throws a brick that hits the man in the back, downing him. Michael is initially disrespectful toward Harry and his hometown, and includes a reference to "Hillbilly High." Tired of her exaggerated and melodramatic behavior at her father's funeral, L.B. purposefully knocks Vera into the open grave (she's okay). Harry says a woman Brenda has spotted is his cousin, with Brenda then joking that doesn't mean anything down here (an incest joke based on being in the South). When an executor reads from a will about Cora being beautiful, Vera snidely says he must have been blind as well as "crippled" and crazy. Seen on TV news footage and then in person, Cora's mom (Madea) leads many police cars on a highway chase. When she runs out of gas, the police surround her at gunpoint (handguns), but when they try to arrest her, she resists and strikes one officer on the head before kneeing him repeatedly. Other cops then grab, pin and cuff her. FRIGHTENING SCENES We see the family's funeral for their father, and there's an open casket view of the body (looking nicely dressed and made-up, etc.). This is listed for those with a fear of dead bodies. Rival drug dealers approach Calvin and Michael at night. Calvin punches and struggles with one of them, and tells Michael to run, so he does, with the other rival getting into his car. Michael thinks he's escaped when that car pulls up. Michael tries to run, but that rival shoots him in the back with a handgun (no blood). After surgery (not seen) and a hospital stay, Michael is okay. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns: Used to threaten and wound others. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Gonorrhea-cologist" (instead of gynecologist), "Bottom/Freckle-faced/Back-door/City/Double/Nasty ho" (whore), "The last will and testicles" (instead of "testament"), "Shut up," "They'll kick his ass," "Chillin,'" "Kick it," "I'm his baby-mama," "You fool," "Who the hell is she?" "Mamacita," "It's Chicken George," "Oh Lord, help me," "Hillbilly High," "N-A-P-P-Y," "Sly dog," "Oh hell," "What the hell /is this/is that?" "Shut your mouth," "Damn fool," "Damn, girl," "You bastard," "Get the hell out of my house," "Who is this fool?" "Dude," "Boy, are you crazy?" "Hood rat," "You're pissing off my wife" and "If it's any constipation" (instead of "consolation"). Some cheerleaders show bare midriffs in their cheering outfits. Michael decides to deal drugs to make money (but then changes his mind). Tired of her exaggerated and melodramatic behavior at her father's funeral, L.B. purposefully knocks Vera into the open grave (she's okay). Cora slaps LeRoy to help him regain his composure. Seen on TV news footage and then in person, Cora's mom (Madea) leads many police cars on a highway chase. The old man in the car with her then throws bags of pot out the window. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 incomplete "f" word (used with "mother"), 7 hells, 4 asses, 4 damns, 5 uses of "Oh Lord," 2 each of "God" and "Oh God" and 1 use of "Oh my God." Cheryl may also cuss in Spanish, but we couldn't understand what she was saying. SEX/NUDITY Both Brenda and Cheryl show varying amounts of cleavage in various outfits (with the latter sometimes showing a lot). Brenda says her mom used to do anything for money (in relation to how Brenda was conceived). About LeRoy having a daughter, Vera jokes that she didn't know his "soldiers marched" (sperm), commenting on an accident he earlier had with a pencil in his pocket. He then comments on having lead in his privates. LeRoy says a malapropism when introducing gynecologist Will as a "Gonorrhea-cologist," saying it's the same thing when he's corrected with the right term. When Vera says she isn't sleeping in a room where her father just died, Sarah jokes that she's been sleeping with a dead man for years (presumably meant sexually). We hear that Brenda's three kids came from her sleeping with three different men. Upon hearing that her dad also fathered Brenda, Vera doesn't believe it and says her father was no "rolling stone." L.B. then says her father was a pimp and her mother a "bottom ho" (whore). When various family members ask about various women they know/knew, L.B. lists them as freckle-faced, back-door, city, double and nasty hos (played for laughs). Vera shows some cleavage. LeRoy says a malapropism about "The last will and testicles" (instead of "testament"). Michael Sr. arrives at Brenda's home, agreeing to give her money if she gives him something (sex) in return. He asks where the bedroom is, but she says she doesn't sleep with men for money. He replies that her mother did, and that he bets Brenda wishes she had used the $200 he gave her in the past to have an abortion (regarding Michael). Cheryl checks out and admires Harry's clothed butt as he passes by. Harry and Brenda briefly but passionately kiss at a wedding. SMOKING A miscellaneous character is seen smoking in the background of a scene. Coughing/choking at her father's funeral, Vera says she has to quit smoking, but we never see her partake in that activity. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Brenda receives written notice in the mail that her biological father has died, but since she never knew him, this doesn't upset her that much. We hear that Michael Sr. is $8,000 short in child support to Brenda for their son. Brenda goes to see Michael Sr. to ask for child support money, but he laughs her off and tells her not to interrupt him at work again. LeRoy cries about missing his recently deceased father, but his actions are over the top and played for comedy on the part of the film. Cora briefly mentions being a widow and thus single mom. We see the family's funeral for their father, and there's an open casket view of the body (looking nicely dressed and made-up, etc.). The scene is played for comedy, however, as LeRoy and Vera over-act their emotions and grief. Harry states he's divorced and has three kids. We later learn that he lost all of them due to his gambling habit. Michael Sr. arrives at Brenda's home, agreeing to give her money if she gives him something (sex) in return. He asks where the bedroom is, but she says she doesn't sleep with men for money. He replies that her mother did, and that he bets Brenda wishes she had used the $200 he gave her in the past to have an abortion (regarding Michael). Michael hears all of this and then confronts his deadbeat father. When she learns he dealt drugs the night before, Brenda kicks Michael out of the house. He becomes emotionally upset and apologizes to her (saying he's tired of seeing her constantly struggling without enough money), and she allows him to stay. Brenda worries about Michael after hearing he was shot. She then waits in the emergency room for word about him (he's okay after surgery). Michael Sr. then arrives and grabs at Brenda in a hospital (after Michael has been shot) and states that he isn't paying for any funeral. Michael Sr. shows up to bask in his son's glory of being signed to play pro basketball. But Michael comments on his dad never being around, and the press ask the father questions about that. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Being a single mom. Having a deadbeat father. Living and growing up in the projects. Drug dealers and teen temptation of adopting that lifestyle. The lure of professional sports dreams for poor kids. Alcoholism. Bipolar disorder (Cheryl is noted as having that). Gambling and its repercussions (Harry lost his former profession, wife and kids because of that). Losing one's job. Being so poor that one's power is turned off. Brenda saying she's tired of getting her hopes up, only to have them crushed. Brenda not being trusting of men after the way so many have treated her. Brenda having three kids by three fathers. VIOLENCE Mad about how Michael Sr. has treated Brenda (not paying for child support), Cheryl throws a brick that hits the man in the back, downing him. Tired of her exaggerated and melodramatic behavior at her father's funeral, L.B. purposefully knocks Vera into the open grave (she's okay). Hearing his biological father be demeaning to his mom, Michael comes to her defense. There's brief contact between the two and Brenda must separate them. Rival drug dealers approach Calvin and Michael at night. Calvin punches and struggles with one of them, and tells Michael to run, so he does, with the other rival getting into his car. Michael thinks he's escaped when that car pulls up. Michael tries to run, but that rival shoots him in the back with a handgun (no blood). After surgery (not seen) and a hospital stay, Michael is okay. Michael Sr. grabs at Brenda in a hospital (after Michael has been shot) while stating that he isn't paying for any funeral. Cora slaps LeRoy to help him regain his composure. Seen on TV news footage and then in person, Cora's mom (Madea) leads many police cars on a highway chase. When she runs out of gas, the police surround her at gunpoint (handguns), but when they try to arrest her, she resists and strikes one officer on the head before kneeing him repeatedly. Other cops then grab, pin and cuff her. Reviewed March 21, 2008 / Posted March 21, 2008