My biggest issue with Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Brown” is with how the main character Brenda Brown and her insecurities with Harry are used throughout the movie. This movie focuses on the vulnerability of a single black mother and seems to place blame on her for the situation that she is in. The narrative of the movie goes out of its way to present that Brenda is being unreasonable to Harry and that all she needs to do is trust him without being given any reason to do so. One example is with Coach Harry, their first interaction is Harry talking to her son Michael alone in the stairway, trying to convince him to play professional basketball despite still being a minor under her care and without talking to her. The movie plays this off as a cute meet between two love interests and to show Harry is interested in Brenda as well as Michael. Brenda finds out through gossip that Harry had gambling problem and because of her insecurities believes that Harry is only interested in Michael. Harry later on in the movie goes behind Brenda’s back to have Michael sign a contract without letting her know and without letting her read the contract. Harry only admits to his gambling after Brenda confronts him about his true intentions with her family. Despite the fact that the movie never shows any other explanations, has other characters vouch for him and only proves Brenda is in the wrong after she confronts him and gets him to confess, the audience expected to just trust that Harry is a good guy without any proof to justify that he is a good guy other that the movie telling you he is and that Brenda is being unreasonable because of insecurity about men.
Good script analysis. I agree with the mediocrity of the writing and character development. I wish you could somehow relate this film with the broader topic of African American cinema. Is it a weakness based on Perry's inexperience as a filmmaker at the time? Or is it deeper than that?