Diary of a Mad Black Woman

Infobox Film
name = Diary of a Mad Black Woman


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Darren Grant
producer = Tyler Perry
writer = Tyler Perry
starring = Kimberly Elise
Steve Harris
Shemar Moore
Tamara Taylor
Tiffany Evans
with Cicely Tyson
and Tyler Perry
music = Camara Kambon
cinematography = David Claessen
editing = Terilyn A. Shropshire
distributor = Lionsgate
released = February 25, 2005
runtime = 116 min.
country = flagicon|USA
language = English
budget = $5.5 million
gross = $50,633,099
website = http://www.diaryofamadblackwomanmovie.com/
followed_by = "Madea's Family Reunion"
imdb_id = 0422093

"Diary of a Mad Black Woman" is a romantic-dramedy film written by Tyler Perry, which was inspired by the play of the same name. The movie stars Perry. Directed by Darren Grant, the film was released in the US on February 25, 2005. The sequel, "Madea's Family Reunion" was released on February 24, 2006, almost exactly one year after the first film. And Tyler Perry's new movie, "Daddy's Little Girls", came out on February 14, 2007, almost one year after the previous one.

Plot

Helen and Charles McCarter had it all: money, success and a fine home. In public they seemed like their lives were perfect, but it was all far from perfect behind closed doors. Helen is unemployed and her husband strays, having multiple affairs. On their 18th wedding anniversary, Helen wakes up to find all of her belongings packed in a U-Haul truck with Charles kicking her out of the house in the presence of his young mistress Brenda. An emotionally destroyed and penniless Helen turns to her sassy and loud grandmother Madea, who takes her in and helps her get back on her feet. Brian (Madea's nephew) acts as Madea and Helen's attorney at court after the two women were caught by Charles and Brenda for breaking into the mansion and vandalizing some of his and Brenda's belongings (Madea rammed her car into the security gate of Charles' home, cut some of the furniture in half with a chainsaw and the two of them were ripping Brenda's clothes). He also acts as Helen's attorney for her in divorce court and during the court session, she decides to let Charles keep all the money and property provided he pays Brian's attorney fees and for her mother's stay in the nursing home (which he forced Helen to put her mother in during their marriage) which Charles happily agrees to.

Due to Madea being a repeat offender, Judge Mablean Ephriam places her under house arrest and set a $5,000 bond for Helen. Brian himself had some marital problems at home with his wife's(Deborah)drug habits and addiction and kicks her out of the house after the last straw. Helen soon learns to grow through her pain, and is ready to move on from Charles and give love another chance when she meets Orlando. Meanwhile, Charles is coerced by Jamison Milton Jackson to be his attorney and possibly bribe the judge in his favor for his upcoming trial for shooting an undercover cop during a drug deal.

Charles ends up losing the case when the jurors find Jamison guilty at the trial. As a disgruntled Jamison is being led out of the courtroom by the bailiff, he takes the bailiff's gun and ends up shooting Charles. Once Helen finds out about Charles on the news, she races over to the hospital with Brian (the two run into Brenda)and the doctor informs them that Charles was shot in the spine and could be paralyzed for life. Since Helen still was legally married to Charles, she was able to have Charles resuscitated, while Brenda couldn't (as the fiancee)and wanted the opposite.

After several torture tactics, Helen ends up tending to Charles as he recovered and as it turned out, she was the only one there for him. Brenda left him since she didn't want to take care of him and only wanted his money along with their maid Christina (after Brenda took all of Charles' money and had left none to pay her) and Charles' friends abandoning him. Helen at first bursts into rage and gets even with Charles, but then she ends up forgiving him and moving on. Charles ends up changing for the better, apologizing to Helen and realizing the error of his ways. Despite the doctor's prediction, he ends up being able to walk again (with a cane) after many visits in physical therapy. At church, while everyone witnesses Charles walk for the first time (with his cane), along with a newly clean and sober Deborah fresh from rehab. During a family dinner, Helen asks Charles to sign the divorce papers, leaves the table to go to Orlando and finally gets her man in the end.

Cast

*Kimberly Elise as Helen McCarter
*Tyler Perry as Madea Simmons/ Joe Simmons / Brian Simmons
*Steve Harris as Charles McCarter
*Shemar Moore as Orlando
*Tamara Taylor as Debrah Simmons
*Tiffany Evans as Tiffany Simmons
*Cicely Tyson as Myrtle Jean
* Mablean Ephriam, former presiding judge of TV's "Divorce Court," makes a brief cameo appearance in the film as the judge who places Madea on house arrest.

oundtrack

The soundtrack was released by Atlantic records on April 19th, 2005.Soundtrack Listing:

*Purify Me - India.Arie
*Sick and Tired - Monica
*Different Directions - Angie Stone
*Things I Collected - Tamia
*I Wanna Swing - Cheryl Pepsii Riley
*I Wanna Love Again - Natalie Cole
*Fallen In Love - Darlene McCoy
*Ain't It Funny - Heather Headley
*One of Us - Cheryl Pepsii Riley
*I Wanna Be Free - Patti Labelle
*Father Can You Hear Me - Cheryl Pepsii Riley, Tamela Mann, Terrell Carter, Anya Washington
*Take It To Jesus - Tamela Mann

Box office

On its opening weekend, the film arrived at #1 with $21,905,089. The movie grossed a total of $50.3 million in the United States and Canada while it grossed $19,000 in foreign countries adding to a worldwide total of $50,652,203. The sequel, Madea's Family Reunion, would go on to gross $63 million.

External links

* [http://www.diaryofamadblackwomanmovie.com Official site]
*
* [http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/tickermaster/listing.cfm?tmID=1484 Box Office Prophets]

Box Office Leaders USA
before = Hitch
date = February 27
year = 2005
after = The Pacifier