Word Count: 981
Jordan Lindsey
English 15.002
Mrs. Wickman
Argument Essay Lies, love, lust and betrayal are themes showed throughout the movie The Family that Preys; however Josh Tyler a movie Critic from Cinema Blend.com was not convinced. He thought it was the worst movie made in 2009, and that the only thing that saved it was its great performances by Academy Award-winner Kathy Bates and Academy Award-nominee Alfre Woodard; “[a]nd that warm, gooey glow that seems to follow every Tyler Perry movie.” The Family That Preys is a movie for anyone who likes close families, friendship, drama, and a whole bunch of nonsense. This movie is about a Wealthy Socialite, Charlotte Cartwright (Bates), and her close friend, Alice Pratt (Woodard), a working class woman. Their lives are turned upside down as their adult children's extramarital affairs, unethical business practices and a dark paternity secret threaten to derail family fortunes and unravel the lives of all involved. In the review, John says, “Charlotte seems almost to suffer from a split personality disorder. When she’s with Alice she’s a freewheeling, kind, and generous woman. Whenever we see her without her friend, she’s a horrible rich bitch, ripped straight off the set of Dallas or Falcon Crest.” In the movie, Charlotte is never snobby or two faced. She puts on a hard exterior while working because she is fighting an endless battle with her son, William. He believes she has lost her spunk and is trying to excommunicate her from the family’s successful business which Charlotte and her husband built. Josh then goes on and talks how dumb and simple Alice Pratt’s daughter Andrea’s husband is. Chris is not dumb; he is blinded by the girl he loves. After finding a half a million dollars stashed away in a hidden bank account that, he believed that they were bonuses that she was given at work. Most husbands that want to start a company don’t want negative wives yelling nonsense in their ears. When Chris asked Andrea if she could mention his company idea to her boss, she responds “Don't be stupid. This man is not interested in helping you. He's a multi-millionaire. You are foolish you will never be William Cartwright.” When the secret of Andrea’s affair with William Cartwright is revealed, Chris was so shocked he didn’t know how to act; he punched her so hard that she fell over the counter in her mother’s diner. This struck me the wrong way because he is so kind hearted and a great father; he treats Andrea as if she was a queen and she didn’t want to be the only provider in the house. She wanted someone to provide her the lifestyle she deserves. The movie has lots suspense just as a horror movie does; the viewer never knows what is going to happen next.
In Tyler’s review, he complains that the overuse of conferences is not necessary and takes away from the plot. Nevertheless, the conferences are where a lot of the problem solving and animosity starts and finishes. A lot of secrets that tie insignificant people with the two families are revealed in these intense conferences. As Charlotte Cartwright says, “My family is known to prey on the weak” and the reason that she will not give up her power to her greedy son because she does trust him. She says, “It's not you I don't trust, darling. It's your private thoughts that give me pause.” All of these problems will be solved while both families prey in these infamous conferences. The main focus point in the review is that Tyler Perry could have had a great movie if it wasn’t for minor flaws in the screenplay. He thinks that the bulk of the film should have been focused on Charlotte and Alice’s friendship; however, that could not have been possible. Charlotte and Alice are very close; Charlotte even paid for Alice’s daughter’s wedding. Their friendship is the key that holds the two families together, but cannot be the only point in the movie. If Tyler Perry would change the script to satisfy Josh Tyler, he would have to change the title of it also. Tyler Perry wrote a great script matched with great acting is what made this movie a hit. The Family That Preys is a clever title because that is what each child does; prey on each other in various ways. Andrea preys on William for attention, love, money and for him to stand up and be a father to her four year old son; even though Chris believes he is his son. Abby, Alice’s older daughter, preys on Andrea for being such a stuck up snob and forgetting where she came from. William preying on Andrea ignoring his wife and trying to kick is mother out of the family business. In the review, Josh Tyler thought Tyler Perry’s performance was a good. He believed,” His character is one of the few in the film that comes off as a real person; he energizes everything whenever he’s on screen. You’ll want to give him a hug.” However, he says”The Family That Preys, it’s buried under by an avalanche of unbearable, soap opera drivel.” The thing Josh does not get, everyone loves drama and soap operas. If a viewer’s life is boring and drama less, they read juicy novels or watch drama filled movies or television shows. So The Family That Prey is a great movie for those types of viewers to watch. After watching the movie numerous times and reading the review, I came to the conclusion that this writer couldn’t have dealt with the complex plot. Josh must be use to simple, one-sided story lines and no sidebars’ included; however, love, lust, friendship and animosity is what makes The Family That Preys such a great movie; it will keep you on the tip of your seat guessing what is going to happen next and will have you begging for more.