Flick of the Day

Film: DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN

Director: Darren Grant

Actors: Kimberly Elise, Tyler Perry, Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, Cicely Tyson

Year: 2005

Synopsis: A devoted wife is dumped when her husband takes up with another woman.

This film was the first time I was introduced to... Madea and I haven't stopped laughing. Tyler Perry, who in my opinion is only a decent filmmaker, shines as the elderly, tough-as-nails, smart-ass. The other, less funny, part of the movie revolves around a woman who has been kicked out of her lavish home after her husband decides he wants to marry another girl. Helen (played well by Kimberly Elise) moves in with her aunt Madea in the hopes of starting her life over again. The film is a little heavy at times, but it will make you laugh.

Performance of the Day

Actor: MARY LOUISE PARKER

Film: "Fried Green Tomatoes"

Character: Ruth Jamison

Year: 1991

Long before she was wowing audiences with her portrayal of pot-selling, soccer-mom Nancy Botwin in the popular show "Weeds", Mary Louise Parker was showing her sensitive side in the sleeper hit, "Fried Green Tomatoes". Parker shines in this all-female, all-star cast (Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Cicely Tyson, and Mary Stuart Masterson) as Ruth Jamison, the shy, abused, estranged wife of a KKK member. Parker is fantastic, mastering the art of conveying emotions with a facial expression. She shows her range with a mixture of femininity, timidity, compassion, and tremendous strength.