Movie Review: Meet the Browns

Title: Meet the Browns
Genre: Comedy-drama.
Cast: Angela Bassett, Rick Fox, David Mann and Lance Gross.
Story and Direction: Tyler Perry.

Lots of people complain about the tough times they endured growing up in poverty in large towns, not having enough to eat, less clothes etc. But the plight of a single mother struggling to bring up three children, when she suddenly loses her job, the sole source of livelihood for the family is incomparable. And this is the central theme of the Tyler Perry film Meet the Browns.

The central character Brenda Brown, played by Angela Bassett portrays how a single mother struggles to keep her children happy even at the face of having to go without food and electricity and a job loss. Brenda's teenage son Michael is a good basketball player and his sneakers start falling apart in the middle of the big game. The children's father has left Brenda and refuses to pay child-support, though he has a job which pays him $25 an hour. Director-writer Tyler Perry has done a wonderful job in creating characters in this touching movie.

Even as Brenda is struggling against odds to make a decent living in Chicago, she receives a letter with bus tickets inviting her to attend her father's funeral in Georgia. A person whom she has never met in her life. Arriving at Georgia with children in tow, Brenda gets acquainted with the loving, loud and eccentric small-town Brown family and their family friend an ex-NBA ballplayer Perry, who wants to help her son become a professional player. Brenda is firm on one thing, that Michael is first completing college and then playing professional basketball.

After the funeral, the family lawyer reads out the will and surprisingly old man Brown has left a country home to Brenda. The home is rundown and needs lot of work to bring it into a condition to live in. Brenda doesn't have the money, so she decides to head back to Chicago and try to get a job. But life in Chicago is tough and her son is invited to make money peddling dope. Brenda resents this and tells him to walk out of the house, Michael relents and returns the dope earnings but the gang doesn't want to leave him. In the ensuing confrontation he gets shot and is hospitalized. With a heavy heart she decides to move to Georgia taking her children and renovate her inherited home and live there. She has a surprise waiting there, which gives you the message "all is well that ends well".

In my opinion this movie displays the grit and courage of an individual who struggles to bring up a family single-handedly without any support from the spouse. She never seeks help even when she is down to the last penny. This movie is an inspirational story to all those young and old single-mothers who are often led astray in a bid to make ends meet. This movie gives the strong message that irrespective of what if one believes and does the right thing, life will end up alright.

Who better than Tyler can give this kind of a message through his captivating story and direction. His ability to effectively present a melodrama using humor, sarcasm and pain is very good. A must watch in my opinion.

Here is a trailer of the movie for you to get a sneak preview.