I Can Do Bad All By Myself
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The Story
April (Taraji P. Henson) is a lounge singer who can barely take care of herself. She drinks too much and lives in a crumbling house with a man who is married to another woman. She’s not the most obvious choice to raise her late sister’s three kids, but she’s the only option they have left—especially after they get caught trying to rob the house of Madea and her brother Joe (both played for comic relief by director Tyler Perry).
April’s life gets more complicated when her pastor asks her to take in another boarder. Sandino (Adam Rodriguez) is a good man, and he’s willing to fix up her place in exchange for a bunk in her basement. April reluctantly agrees, a decision that slowly leads her back to church and to a new awareness of how she can meet the needs of someone besides herself.
But she still has to figure out what to do with her abusive boyfriend and the kids.
Content Issues
Mature themes including child and sexual abuse are the biggest reason for the PG-13 rating, including the near rape of a teenage girl and a tense stand-off involving electrocution. Profane language is kept to a minimum (though God’s name is used for swearing once or twice), and drug and alcohol abuse is portrayed in a mostly negative light.
Worldview Talking Points
Tyler Perry has quickly become one of our most successful filmmakers, releasing a new film or two every year. His usually urban stories lean toward the melodramatic, walking the line between comedy and tragedy and often involving a strong dose of redemption. They’re also told from a Christian perspective, though it is sometimes difficult to connect the dots between the beliefs of even his most devout characters and the choices they make.
“I Can Do Bad” fits comfortably into his lineup, and several of its messages are even more specifically Christian, including a very straightforward sermon delivered by Marvin Winans as the pastor of April’s local church. (The supporting cast also includes Gladys Knight and Mary J. Blige.)
It’s hard to say if the film will appeal to your kids—and the strong themes will be a concern for some parents—but the movie is another number one box office hit for Perry and his team. If your family does see the film, a few of questions below might be worth talking over.
- Are you fan of any of Tyler Perry’s other movies? Which ones are your favorites?
- Perry might be most famous for his Madea character. Do like Madea? Does she make you laugh?
- What do you think of the Christian or religious content of Perry’s films? Do you think of them as Christian movies? Why or why not?
- Why do you think his films have been so successful, usually winning their box office weekend and making quite a bit of money?
- Jennifer, the 16-year-old girl in the story, and her two brothers are on their own and wind up trying to steal to support themselves. What do you think you would do if you found yourself in a similar situation? Do you think it’s wrong to steal when you really need food and a place to stay?
- Before the kids and Sandino show up, April’s life is kind of under control. It’s not what you would call “good,” but things are pretty much stable and she knows what to do next. Have you ever noticed in real life a situation where difficult new circumstances helped to get someone out of a comfortable, self-destructive place? How did it turn out?
- April isn’t exactly living a solid, Christian lifestyle, but her pastor and church don’t give up on her. Do you think our church does a good job of reaching out to people who seem to have walked away from God and into poor choices? Why or why not?
- What did you think of the church services depicted in the movie? What surprised you about them?Did you think they felt “real”?
- Several characters in “Do Bad” express faith in God in one form or another. How do you think the choices of the Christian characters line up with a belief in what the Bible teaches?
- April wants to take revenge on her ex-boyfriend for understandable reasons. What did you think about the choices she made—and their consequences—in light of her Christian beliefs?
- Jennifer comes close to being sexually abused. What did you think about that scene? [Parent: This scene might be a good chance to talk about this difficult issue with your son or daughter if you think its appropriate.]
- What would you say was the overall worldview perspective of the movie?
- One clear message was that we need each other to get by. Who are the people you lean on the most to help you deal with hard times and make good choices? Who leans on you?
Comments
Sherry on Sep 18, 2009 said...
I thought the movie was great, some things i can really relate to. Good job Tyler Perry and keep up the good work.
Louis Kianez on Sep 16, 2009 said...
I thought the movie was great and ealt with some serious issues in the urban setting. We plan on seeing it again with some of the brothers from our church.