Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns - 2 1/2 smiles

Tyler Perry, writer, director and producer, combines love, family, and religion in a somewhat heart-warming (but not always coherent) story. Brenda Brown, portrayed by the beautifully expressive Angela Bassett, is a single mother encountering hard times as she tries to care for her three children. When the father she never knew dies, Brenda and her children travel from Chicago to a small town in Georgia to attend the funeral. There she meets members of her extended family: L.B. (Frankie Faison), now the head of the Brown family, his sensible wife Sarah (Margaret Avery), L.B.’s clownish brother Leroy (David Mann), and their waspish sister Vera (Jennifer Lewis). Brenda also meets Harry (Rick Fox), a basketball coach who takes an interest in her son’s basketball career and who is a possible love interest. Perry has a solid fan-base, which is probably why he threw in a cameo appearance by Medea (Perry in drag). Unfortunately, Medea’s appearance has nothing to do with Brenda’s story. And Perry allows David Mann, who is a walking sight gag with his outlandish outfits and high-pitched voice, to have too much screen time. Perry obviously believes in the benefits of family and friends, but this movie devolves into too much melodrama to have a solid recommendation. (3/23/08)