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"WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?"
(2010) (Tyler Perry, Janet Jackson) (PG-13)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Extreme Minor Extreme Moderate Moderate
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Extreme Moderate Moderate None Mild
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Heavy Mild Heavy Extreme Moderate


QUICK TAKE:
Dramedy: Four African-American couples deal with the ups and downs of marriage in the modern world.
PLOT:
Four African-American married couples decide to meet at their timeshare in the Bahamas for a vacation. Each couple has their own share of problems, though, that come out during the holiday.

Terry and Dianne (TYLER PERRY and SHARON LEAL) appear to be the happiest, but Terry is slowly suspecting Dianne of having an affair. Angela and Marcus (TASHA SMITH and MICHAEL JAI WHITE) constantly bicker, and Angela has major trust issues with regards to her husband. Newlyweds Sheila and Troy (JILL SCOTT and LAMMAN RUCKER) have serious money issues, having just moved from Colorado to Atlanta for Sheila's work. They have two mortgages, and Troy has been unable to find a new job. Finally, Patricia and Gavin (JANET JACKSON and MALIK YOBA) are privately on the verge of divorce, but neither is willing to confide in their friends.

Into this mix comes the divisive Mike (RICHARD T. JONES), Sheila's abusive ex-husband who has decided to take his timeshare vacation on the same week as the various couples. His presence angers Troy, unsettles Sheila, and makes the others feel uncomfortable as well. Eventually, the nine meet an elderly couple (LOUIS GOSSETT JR. and CICELY TYSON) who remind them why they are lucky (and unlucky) in love.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Older teens, especially African-American ones, will likely want to see it due to Tyler's Perry enormous popularity. It should be noted, though, that this is one Perry film where his signature character, Madea, does not appear.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For thematic material including sexuality, language, drug references and some domestic violence.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • TYLER PERRY plays a married family man who comes to suspect his wife is cheating on him. He is a social drinker.
  • SHARON LEAL plays his wife, who is infatuated with another man but has not actually committed adultery. She is a successful lawyer who drinks on occasion, but is generally the most level-headed person in the movie.
  • JANET JACKSON plays a psychologist and self-help author whose marriage is disintegrating, but feels she can't confide in her friends. She is still grieving the loss of a child, too. She is a casual drinker and smoker.
  • MALIK YOBA plays her architect husband, who ends up contesting the divorce when his wife tries to keep the royalty money she made on her last book. He is a hard drinker at times and turns violent and abusive when inebriated.
  • MICHAEL JAI WHITE plays a TV sportscaster who is almost constantly berated and henpecked by his shrill, domineering wife. He is a social drinker.
  • TASHA SMITH plays his wife, who has a flash temper and doesn't care about embarrassing him or herself in public places when she feels the need to lash out. She has major trust issues, is quite profane, and is generally unpleasant to be around most of the time. She also is a heavy drinker, a former marijuana smoker in college, and is reckless with a handgun when she thinks she has discovered her husband cheating in their bed.
  • JILL SCOTT plays a generally good-hearted woman previously married to an abusive man, but now is wife to an out-of-work police officer. She is a social drinker.
  • LAMMAN RUCKER plays her new husband, a generally decent man whose lack of job prospects and inability to support his wife and himself gnaws at his self-confidence and outlook on life. He can be violent when pushed.
  • RICHARD T. JONES plays Sheila's abusive ex-husband, who yearns to win her back to the point where he tags along on a couples' retreat. He claims to no longer be the man who hurt her, though, and we eventually come to learn that he has cancer.
  • LOUIS GOSSETT JR. and CICELY TYSON play an elderly couple who have been married for 55 years, who the couples invite to dinner one night.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a brief summary of the content found in this dramedy that has been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 2 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Some sexually related dialogue is present throughout and women are referred to often as "ho's." And nearly all of the eight major characters are shown in swimsuits and various stages of undress, but no nudity (all four of the major female characters show cleavage).

    Violence consists of one man being punched, one woman being manhandled by her drunken husband, a woman firing a gun randomly in a house, and one character being killed in a fairly horrifying car accident. The crash and its emotional aftermath will likely be unsettling for some viewers.

    Bad attitudes are present, especially with regards to marriage, and tense family material is present. There is also much potentially imitative behavior and various thematic elements. Drinking is present throughout, jokey references are made to characters smoking marijuana and crack cocaine, and there is one scene of cigarette smoking.

    If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Angela drinks alcohol from a flask while waiting for a delayed flight.
  • Dianne exclaims she needs a glass of wine while listening to Angela and Marcus bicker. Terry replies, "I need some crack."
  • Troy and Sheila are immediately served a mixed drink upon arriving in the Bahamas.
  • Angela demands margaritas immediately upon arriving at the couples' timeshare in the Bahamas.
  • The men drink beer after jet skiing.
  • All four couples plus Mike enjoy mixed drinks while playing cards during their first night at the resort. A bar is visible briefly in the background, fully stocked with liquor and other spirits.
  • Angela wants to get Dianne, Sheila, and Patricia to start drinking with her so they will be more forthcoming about their secrets.
  • Terry, Marcus, Mike and Gavin drink beers while on a fishing trip.
  • The four couples and Mike are joined by an elderly couple, who together sip champagne on the beach and talk about married life.
  • A drunk Gavin swigs from a bottle of vodka and assaults Patricia, pinning her down on a sofa, yelling at her, pouring vodka on her, smashing picture frames, and eventually lighting on fire a photo album that contains pictures of their late son.
  • Troy returns home after one failed job interview and pops open a beer.
  • Sheila recalls Angela smoking marijuana often back in their college days.
  • Terry, Marcus, Gavin, Mike and Troy all meet for beers and other drinks at a local pub.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • Angela has a dead person's ashes blown all over face and exposed torso at the beach after an older couple throws the human remains of their deceased friend to the wind.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Angela screams at Marcus in a crowded airport when she finds him chatting with a female fan.
  • Marcus lies to the fan, telling her that Terry is his bodyguard.
  • Mike shows up at the main characters' couples weekend to cause trouble for his ex-wife, Sheila, and her new husband, Troy. He secretly wants to win her back.
  • Mike tells Angela and the other women that he has come to stay, pointing to his luggage and calling it an "old bag, like what you see when you look in the mirror, Angela."
  • Mike asks Marcus to "put a muzzle" on his domineering wife.
  • Gavin tells Mike that his ex-wife Sheila's new husband, Troy, is currently unemployed.
  • Mike later uses that information to taunt both Troy and Sheila.
  • Dianne inadvertently says another man's name ("Phil") when talking to her husband, Terry.
  • Patricia surprises Gavin by announcing their divorce to all their friends before clearing it with him.
  • Angela acknowledges demanding that her husband work harder and make more money. Now that he is, she berates him for his long hours, workaholic attitude, and the fact that he wants to say what they spend their money on.
  • Angela refers to women throughout the film, especially those she believes who are out to steal her husband, as "ho's."
  • At their divorce hearing, Gavin surprises Patricia by demanding half of her book royalties. Patricia refuses, and Gavin vows a long court fight.
  • Marcus refuses to give his wife, Angela, the password to his cellphone believing she should trust him.
  • Angela eventually steals the cellphone, but doesn't know how to "unlock" it to get the goods on Marcus.
  • Sheila goes behind Troy's back and asks her ex-husband Mike to use his connections to help get Troy a job.
  • Angela's gossip-y next-door neighbor gives her false information that Marcus is cheating on her.
  • This sends Angela into a rage, and she actually interrupts Marcus' "ESPN Sportscenter"-like TV show while it is live on the air with her accusations of his infidelity.
  • A drunk Gavin swigs from a bottle of vodka and assaults Patricia, pinning her down on a sofa, yelling at her, pouring vodka on her, smashing picture frames, and eventually lighting on fire a photo album that contains pictures of their late son.
  • Patricia does not answer the door when her concerned friends knock.
  • Gavin throws a potted plant through his old front door after Patricia has changed the locks.
  • Angela confesses to checking bank statements, credit-card receipts, car mileage and even Marcus' heart rate whenever she suspects he is cheating on her.
  • Sheila doesn't tell Troy that she is transporting Mike, her ex-husband, to some chemotherapy treatments and then caring for him afterward.
  • Patricia comes into Gavin's workplace and humiliates him by yelling at him, leading his co-workers in a round of "Happy Birthday to You" (when it's not his birthday), and having a gay male stripper pop out of a cardboard birthday cake.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • A drunk Gavin swigs from a bottle of vodka and assaults Patricia, pinning her down on a sofa, yelling at her, pouring vodka on her. Throughout the scene, we're unsure whether or not he is going to commit marital rape. He doesn't.
  • Patricia flies into a rage, swinging one of Gavin's golf clubs wildly throughout the house breaking glass tables and other things and almost hitting Gavin, Terry, and Marcus.
  • A truck comes out of nowhere and slams into a car being driven by one of the main characters. That character later dies (off-screen) as a result of crash-related injuries.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Angela retrieves a handgun from an upstairs closet, loads it, and then shoots up her bedroom when she finds her gardener/housekeeper having sex with a woman in her bed. Prior to going for her gun, she had been prepared to wield a large kitchen knife as a weapon.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Due to crowd noise at the screening, the following should be considered a minimum: Phrases: "Bullsh*t," "Oh, sh*t," "It's always the same damn thing," "Because he's a damn fool," "That damn fool," "I don't give a damn about your job!" "You so damn evil!" "Where's my damn purse?" "Your damn salon," "Just give me your damn phone!" "Damn it, Sheila! Give me some space!" "You selfish son-of-a-b*tch!" "Run, you little bitch!" "I will bust a cap in that ass," "She'll be terrorizing your black ass," "Your ghetto ass," "You little nosey asses," "Get your ass outta here!" "Shovel the food down your fat-ass throat and leave me the hell alone!" "Get your asses out of my bed and wash my damn sheets!" "I'm sick of your selfish ass," "Bull crap," "What the hell are you all standing here?" "What the hell you talking about?" "What the hell is he doing here?" "Hell no!" "Leave me and mine the hell alone," "What the hell was I thinking?" "Why the hell should I trust you?" "Calling all ho's!" "Come get the ho number, Marcus," "Call your little ho back," "I need a glass of wine," "I need some crack," "With that Negro, be glad I'm not on crack!" "This Negro's got some nerve," "You are such a queen," "Put a muzzle on Angela," "He must be knocking that out of the park," "It sounds like he's really giving it to her," "Y'all be rational, she's gonna be ghetto" and "I'm an old-school fool."
  • Terry and his son play with a ball in the house.
  • Angela screams at Marcus in a crowded airport when she finds him chatting with a female fan.
  • Marcus lies to that fan that Terry is his bodyguard.
  • Marcus lies often in the film -- mostly about trivial things like how big a fish was he caught -- and each time he fibs, he says the words: "Know what I'm sayin'?"
  • Angela randomly drinks alcohol from a flask while talking with Dianne at the airport.
  • Angela steals Marcus' cellphone, but doesn't know how to "unlock" it to get the goods on her husband.
  • Marcus makes sports analogies throughout the film to the point of annoyance.
  • A drunken Gavin sets fire to a photo album filled with cherished pictures of his late son.
  • Patricia does not answer the door when her concerned friends knock.
  • Gavin breaks and enters his own home by throwing a potted plant through the window of his front door.
  • Patricia comes into Gavin's workplace and humiliates him by yelling at him, leading his co-workers in a round of "Happy Birthday to You" (when it's not his birthday), and having a gay male stripper pop out of a cardboard birthday cake.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • Patricia sneaks up behind a scared Marcus and Terry moments after Gavin has broken into his old house.
  • A truck comes out of nowhere and slams into the side of a car being driven by one of the main characters.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A moderate amount of tense music occurs throughout the film, especially during the more dramatic sequences.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • Due to crowd noise at the screening, the following should be considered a minimum: At least 2 "s" words, 12 hells, 10 damns, 9 asses, 3 S.O.B.s and 1 crap.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • Due to crowd noise at the screening, the following should be considered a minimum:
  • When Angela sees how good Dianne looks, she marvels that Terry must be "knocking that up" and "knocking that out of the park," meaning the couple has likely been having great sex lately.
  • The men talk about sex while lounging on the beach. The discussion briefly turns to spanking.
  • Patricia shows a considerable amount of cleavage with the first outfit we see her in.
  • Marcus confesses to Terry that the best part of fighting with his wife is "make-up sex" after.
  • Marcus is shirtless lounging on the beach, while Terry is in a muscle shirt.
  • Marcus likens Mike's low sperm count to his "players being on the sidelines."
  • In separate scenes one right after another, we see Troy, Marcus, and Terry shirtless in bed with their wives on their first night at the resort. The ladies all wear nighties revealing varying levels of cleavage.
  • Sheila eventually seduces Troy into having sex (off-screen), while Marcus in the heat of an argument grabs Angela, tosses her on her bed, kisses her hard, and the scene fades to black with sex implied.
  • Angela emerges from the ocean wearing a bikini. She joins Sheila and Dianne who are in bathing suits and Patricia who is in a beach outfit that reveals cleavage.
  • Mike recalls the first time he and Sheila made love.
  • Angela's gossip-y next-door neighbor gives her false information that Marcus is cheating on her, saying she hears loud "sexual sounds" coming from their bedroom every Tuesday and Thursday around noon while Angela is at work.
  • The following Tuesday, Angela and the neighbor stand outside Angela's house and listen for the sounds of sex coming from inside. When they hear such sounds, the neighbor says, "It sounds like he's really giving it to her."
  • Angela catches her gardener/housekeeper having sex with a woman in her and Marcus' bed. We hear the sounds of sex, but the sexual activity is obscured by bed covers.
  • Dianne lays out sexy underwear as part of the clothes she'll be wearing to work the next day.
  • Dianne confesses to having had thoughts of another man while having sex with Terry after Terry recalls a specific night when their sex was especially good.
  • Terry says a man can have sex with no emotional connection ("Just leave the $200 on the table"), while a woman cannot.
  • A gay male stripper pops out of a cardboard birthday cake intended for Gavin. The performer wears a vest, but no shirt. His bare chest and stomach are exposed.
  • SMOKING
  • Patricia smokes a cigarette while grieving over the disintegration of her marriage.
  • Sheila recalls Angela smoking marijuana often back in their college days.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Terry and Dianne tiptoe around explaining their Aunt Sheila's divorce to their two young kids.
  • Terry suspects Dianne of cheating on him and eventually confronts her on it.
  • Angela repeatedly berates her husband, Marcus, throughout the film for his workaholic ways and for possibly cheating on her (he hasn't).
  • Troy can't enjoy himself on vacation because he is unemployed, their money is dwindling, and they have two mortgages. This causes friction with his wife, Sheila, especially when she tells the other couples that they spent their last dime to go on this couples' retreat.
  • Sheila chastises Mike for physically abusing her during their marriage.
  • Patricia and Gavin are still reeling from the death of their young son months earlier.
  • Patricia surprises Gavin by announcing their divorce to all their friends before clearing it with him.
  • At their divorce hearing, Gavin surprises Patricia by demanding half of her book royalties. Patricia refuses, and Gavin vows a long court fight.
  • A drunk Gavin swigs from a bottle of vodka and assaults Patricia, pinning her down on a sofa, yelling at her, pouring vodka on her, smashing picture frames, and eventually lighting on fire a photo album that contains pictures of their late son.
  • Terry suspects infidelity when Dianne brings home flowers without a note, but with a note-holder still in the bouquet.
  • Mike shares with Sheila that he has cancer, and she secretly agrees to transport him to some chemotherapy treatments.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Male-female relations, especially African-American ones in this case, in modern times.
  • Divorce.
  • Infidelity.
  • The effects of unemployment and money woes on a marriage.
  • Cancer.
  • Loss of a child.
  • VIOLENCE
  • Sheila recalls some pretty bad abuse at the hands of Mike when they used to be married. The episodes include him slamming her up against a wall and putting a hole in the drywall. She also recalls being face down on their kitchen floor and bleeding from being struck.
  • A drunk Gavin swigs from a bottle of vodka and assaults Patricia, pinning her down on a sofa, yelling at her, pouring vodka on her, smashing picture frames, and eventually lighting on fire a photo album that contains pictures of their late son.
  • Gavin throws a potted plant through his front-door window to gain admission to his house after Patricia changes the locks.
  • Patricia flies into a fit of rage, throws her purse at Gavin, and then uses one of his golf clubs to smash several glass tables and other household items. She swings wildly almost hitting Gavin, Terry and Marcus.
  • Troy punches Mike in the face, sending him hard to the ground.
  • A truck comes out of nowhere and slams into a car being driven by one of the main characters. That character later dies (off-screen) as a result of crash-related injuries.



  • Reviewed April 2, 2010 / Posted April 2, 2010

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