Madea's Big Happy Family
- -Shirley has important news for her family, but she has five grown children with different lifestyles and finds it difficult to get them and the kids all together. So in steps Madea, the Matriarch General, to put the family's life in perspective with a hilarious twist on financial difficulties, drugs and, most important, family secrets. The next generation has a lot to learn. In her own way, Madea expresses how deliverance won't change you to be someone else, but will allow you to be who you really are.
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[vc_row][vc_column][wpsm_woobox id=”48563″][/vc_column][/vc_row]by Ginger
This family movie review explores Madea, the big, lively matriarch of the family has big news and needs to share it with her entire family. Madeaäó»s niece, Shirley has received some disturbing news about her health and needs the support of her family around her. Madea tries to bring the family together and finds that they are all to busy with problems of their own to offer any type of family support to one in need. Shirley wants her three adult children around her, but canäó»t bring them together. The family is in chaos and dysfunctional at a time when their mother needs them the most. Madea must bring the clan together and set things straight in the family. She does it the only way she knows how.
The family in the movie gives a new meaning to the word äóìdysfunctionaläó. They are rude and obnoxious to each other. Although the overall message of the movie is one about bringing the family together in good times and in bad, the way in which this äóìtogethernessäó is accomplished is anything but nice. Madea slaps family members and at times applies the hammer where necessary. She literally tries to whip the family into shape, sometimes physically. Madea throws lots of things at people and hits others often.
This movie is very mixed in terms of being a family movie. This parental guide to the movies sees a conflict in how to rate the movie for family content. From one standpoint, Madea has noble intentions as she attempts to transform the family She will not tolerate rude, disrespectful behavior out of the teenagers. Madea demands respect, but in order to teach it, she slaps the offending youth. Her intent is good, but her methods to achieve it are questionable by todayäó»s standards. Madea will not tolerate obnoxious and rude behavior out of others, but she drives her car into a restaurant because they did not have the menu item that she wanted. The movie is full of double standards such as this.
The MPAA rates this movie as a PG-13 for drug content, some mature thematic material and language. This family movie review has to agree with this assessment. However, although the movie contains these elements, they are not presented as acceptable by the characters. This movie is about trying to straighten out those characters who engage in these behaviors. The overall message in the movie is that these things are not acceptable. The movie does contain them but they are presented in a negative light.
The movie shows a dysfunctional family and this type of chaos enters into every piece of their lives. The overlying message in the movie is one about keeping family together and coming together to help someone in need of support. It is about being supportive, but the ways used to force the family into supportiveness are not considered to be the most acceptable by modern standards. We now know that there are better ways to get the point across without resorting to violence, yet that is what Madea does throughout this movie. In terms of whether to take the children or not, the little ones would be best left with a sitter. The movie may be okay for ages 13 and above, but they have to understand that problems cannot be slapped out of existence. This might be a good jumping off point for a discussion about different ways and communication styles that would have achieved the same purpose, but that represented better coping skills than those shown in the movie.