THE SINGLE MOMS CLUB
US, 2014, 111 minutes, Colour.
Nia Long, Wendi Mc Clendon- Covey, Amy Smart, Zulay Henao, Cocoa Brown, Ryan Eggold, Tyler Perry, William Levy, Terry Crews, Katherine Shepler, Cassie Brennan, Massai Z.Dorsey, Vanessa Velasco, De Vion Harris.
Directed by Tyler Perry.
Over the years, Tyler Perry has directed a great number of films with African- American stories, often with a strong emphasis on female characters. He had a series of films, comic, with his disguising himself as Madea.
Four women are introduced, very different characters, different social status. However, their children have misbehaved at school and are being summoned to the principal's office, shocked at the behaviour of their children, the mothers agreeing to collaborate in a fundraiser to make some atonement.
The strength of the film is in the portrayal of each mother, some friendship, some racial prejudice, some snobbery. There is some attention to the children but more on the mothers.
Finally, the mothers agree to pool their energies, forming a club, each mother taking some responsibility for supervising the children while the others are able to go out. However, there is an alarm when one of the children is missing which, is to do with a broken marriage and is eventually resolved.
One mother is a businesswoman, inherently racist and snobbish. Her friend has several children but is separated, cannot afford the maid, and feels unable to cope with her family. Another woman is the prospective author who, eventually, achieves some success by writing up the story of the motherclub. The fourth mother, African- American, a large genial but irascible lady, serves as a catalyst for each of them to check their own attitudes.
1. The title? Topical? The range of single mothers? Bring up their children? Life at home? At school? Professional lives and coping?
2. The city, the range of professions, offices, courts, diners, schools? Meetings? Homes and the club members minding the children? The range of outings, clubs, cinemas? The musical score?
3. The situation, the prestigious school, the graffiti, the smoking, issues of suspension? Authorities wanting to meet the mothers, their being summoned? The threats, suspension, the mothers providing for a funding occasion?
4. The first part of the film introducing the mothers? Jan, editing, the 17 years, interactions with the boss, the young unmarried man wanting the partnership, his taunts to her, her harsh manner? May and her visit with the manuscript? Issues of racism? Her daughter and the absence of a father, her daughters sullen responses? Demands? May, her husband and his drug problems, her son wanting to live with his father, going off to meet him? May is author, turned down by Jack, the car breakdown, the help from TK, is bringing her purse back, coffee with him, the bond, is divorce, his two sons, taking fishing? Hillary, her husband, owning the house, the divorce, wanting to limit alimony and support, her three children, Kristina the maid, and not coping, her daughter and her first period, not knowing, finance, firing Kristina, finding it hard to cope with the children? The attraction of the next-door neighbour, Jan on the phone and prompting her? Esperanza, the affair with the bartender at the diner, secret from her husband, Veronica, relationship with her mother, problems at home? Lydia, at the diner, no husband, hard work, Branson, his attentions, winning, continually being rebuffed, persevering, the wreath, her boys, the two in jail for 25 years, protecting her son and sending him to the prestigious school, his reactions, conscientious but surly?
5. The women meeting with the principal, the reactions about their children, the continued discovery of the not communicating with their children? The idea of the single mom's club? The meetings, difficulties, Jan and her surliness and insults towards Lydia, racism? Snobbery? The project for the funding? May asking TK to help? Hillary asking the neighbour and his designing the enchanted Castle? The various meetings? One member minding all the children on the other going for outings, the range of outings and enjoyment?
6. The men, TK and his being helpful, his children, taking Rick fishing? The barman and the relationship, Branson and the comic touches?
7. The crisis, Rick disappearing, may upset, Hillary distraught, the search? Rick returning, explaining into gone to his father, the past and his father not picking him up from school, this time the meeting, his father taking his money and goods, pawning them? Rick walking home?
8. The various stages of the children reconciling with their parents, talking, understanding, loving?
9. A film for the popular audience, those who could identify with the characters and the situations, learning, being encouraged?
