Why Did I Get Married? is a 2007 comedy-drama film adaptation written, produced, directed, and starring Tyler Perry, which was inspired by the play of the same name. The film stars Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Malik Yoba, Sharon Leal, Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Richard T. Jones, Keesha Sharp, and Perry himself. The film was released in the United States by Lionsgate on October 12, 2007.
The film is the fourth film that Perry has written and directed. Why Did I Get Married? was rated PG-13 by the MPAA for "mature thematic material, sexual references and language."[1]
Plot
The film is about the difficulty of maintaining a solid relationship in modern times. Eight married college friends plus one other non-friend (all of whom have achieved middle to upper class economic status) go to Colorado for their annual week-long reunion, but the mood shifts when one couple's infidelity comes to light. Secrets are revealed and each couple begins to question their own marriage. Over the course of the week, the couples battle with issues of commitment, betrayal and forgiveness and examine their lives as individuals and as committed couples. Tyler Perry's film explores the resultant emotional impact that fidelity and love have upon the constitution of marriage.
Cast
Trivia
- Jill Scott, Richard T. Jones, Keesha Sharp and Malik Yoba were all recurring cast members of the UPN/CW sitcom Girlfriends (Sharp was a regular cast member during the final two seasons). Tasha Smith also made a guest appearance on the series.
- Tasha Smith appeared in Tyler Perry's previous movie, Daddy's Little Girls.
- Unlike the first three films which included actors and actresses from Perry's plays, this film features many cameo appearances by actors who have guest starred on Tyler Perry's House of Payne, including Kaira Whitehead (Keisha), Jamie Moore (Walter), and Bart Hansard (Bartender). Although a lot of the smaller roles in Daddy's Little Girls featured both from the plays and the show.
- Janet Jackson is the third person from Poetic Justice to appear in a Tyler Perry film. The first two were Maya Angelou and Jenifer Lewis who both starred in Madea's Family Reunion.
- Jill Scott makes a reference to her song "Gettin' in the Way" when she is talking to Trina she said "at points I wanted to go take you out in the middle of the street and whoop that ass".
- A short reference is made to Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Perry's first big-screen movie, when Jill Scott says "I thought if I prayed, God would save my marriage." which is almost word for word when Kimberly Elise says "I thought if I did all I could, God would bless my marriage." in Diary.
- This movie contains a factual error: In the scene where Patricia (played by Janet Jackson) wakes up Diane (played by Sharon Leal), Diane explains she is tired because she is "defending a 16 year old on trial for capital murder." This statement, made in this 2007 movie by a character described as a "top litigator," is factually inaccurate, since in 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled sentencing a juvenile to the death penalty is unconstitutional. (The case is Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551.) Thus, as of 2005, no one under the age of 18 can be tried for capital murder in the United States.
Critical reception
As of November 1, 2007 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 48% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 33 reviews.[2] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 54 out of 100 based on 12 reviews.[3]
Box office performance
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $21.4 million in 2,011 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #1 at the box office. In its second weekend, the film slipped to #2 in the box office charts, with a gross of $12.1 million, bringing the 10-day total to over $38 million.[4]. In total, the film domestically grossed $55,204,525.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released by Atlantic Records on October 2nd. Ironically, R&B crooners Anita Baker and Babyface are on the soundtrack. Babyface sued Baker prior to the soundtrack being released. Also featured in the soundtrack is R&B singer Kelly Price, who was featured in the stage play for Why Did I Get Married? as the role of Sheila. The soundtrack to the film features Beyoncé, who starred with Sharon Leal in the 2006 adaptation of Dreamgirls. Another interesting note is Jennifer Holliday being on the soundtrack, who played the original Effie White on the stage play. Neither Janet Jackson nor Jill Scott are featured on the soundtrack.
Track listing
DVD
Why Did I Get Married? The DVD was released on February 12, 2008. The DVD includes subtitles in English and Spanish and also bloopers.
Awards/Nominations
- Image Awards
- Outstanding Motion Picture (Nominated)
- Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Jill Scott (Nominated)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Tyler Perry (Nominated)
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Janet Jackson (Winner)
References
External links
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