Description
Featuring mostly African American actors and centering primarily on women, Perry's films lace drama and comedy with Christianity. Despite the skepticism of Hollywood executives who claimed that church-going black people do not go to the movies, Perry achieved critical success with the release of his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which became the US's highest-grossing movie of 2005. With his movies, Perry has discovered an untapped Audience for the stories he has to offer-stories about adversity, faith, family, and redemption.
Critics, including African American filmmaker Spike Lee, have censured Perry's work for being repetitive and reinforcing negative stereotypes that have long plagued the African American community. Supporters, however, praise Perry for creating films that allow his Audience to see themselves onscreen. Regardless of how his films are received, Perry's accomplishments-establishing the Tyler Perry brand, building one of the largest movie studios in the country, employing more African Americans in front of and behind the camera than any other studio, and creating cinematic content for Audiences other filmmakers have ignored-undeniably establish him as one of the most powerful multimedia moguls in the country.
About the Author
Janice D. Hamlet is associate professor of communication at Northern Illinois University, where she also serves as director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She is coeditor of Fight the Power! The Spike Lee Reader. Her work has been published in such journals as New Directions for Teaching and Learning Journal and Communication Quarterly.
Book Information
ISBN 9781496824592
Author Janice D. Hamlet
Format Paperback
Page Count 136
Imprint University Press of Mississippi
Publisher University Press of Mississippi
Series Conversations with Filmmakers Series
Weight(grams) 208g
