I Can Do Bad All By Myself

The first Tyler Perry movie I saw was Diary Of A Mad Black Woman. From that point on, I was hooked on Tyler Perry. He is a
genius, living my dream! Since my Junior year in college, I've wanted to direct movies. Specific movies. Those that would appeal to the general public and carry a Biblical message at the same time, movies that aren't labeled "Christian" yet clearly are. Tyler Perry films do just that. I am consistently entertained and moved by how he combines Biblical principles with great acting and amazing story lines. "Christian films" are often riddled with cheesiness and/or terrible acting. They can be hokey, too preachy and just plain embarrassing. I Can Do Bad All By Myself is another stunning example of what "Christian" films should be; moving, real, hilarious and anointed. Perry's material leaves religion behind, even making fun of it. He reveals God working through people and with people as they deal with difficult, seemingly hopeless circumstances.


I watched the Special Features section of this DVD and one of the crew members talked about a scene that was shot with Pastor Marvin Winans (older brother of Bebe and Cece Winans). He said that cameras in the scene were strategically placed to be unobtrusive. Perry anticipated what would happen as Pastor Winans sang, that the crowd shots of the congregation would be genuinely touching. The crew member said that, that was exactly what happened. The cameras rolled, Pastor Winans and the choir sang, the Holy Spirit moved in that place and the worship didn't stop even when the cameras ran out of film! How awesome is that! God touched the cast and crew right there as they were shooting the movie. Even as I, a member of the audience, sat and watched the scene unfold, the power of what was taking place there became evident. That same (for lack of a better term) "experience" that only comes from God, is present in many of Perry's other movies as well. His characters' journeys, as they overcome their own weaknesses, are lessons all of us, as human beings, can learn from. We can all relate to struggles with selfishness, greed, jealousy or anger and so on because face them at some point in our lives. If you haven't already, check out a Tyler Perry movie (be warned that most of them are rated PG-13) and experience the stories for yourself.