Peeples: Disliked by a Tyler Perry Fan

As I waited in line to purchase my ticket for Peeples, I stood behind two gentlemen giddy with excitement to see Baz Luhrmann’s newest hit, The Great Gatsby. When they learned the film was in fact sold out, they eased their apparent disappointment with a humorous exchange. “Why don’t we just see the Tyler Perry movie,” one suggested. The other choked on his laughter and answered, “We might as well just throw our money in the trash.” As they stepped out of line and made their exit, I bashfully stepped forward and asked for one ticket to the punchline of their joke.

Tyler Perry has produced an abundance of films and television shows, all with his name proudly attached to their titles as if to certify the viewer’s satisfaction. However, his maker’s mark may instead hint to audiences that without his namesake, his creations would never be able to stand alone.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of some of his work. At the risk of sounding politically incorrect, I realize that as a twenty something white girl I’m probably not part of his target audience. However, I very much enjoyed Diary of a Mad Black Woman, For Colored Girls, and most importantly all of the Madea films (yes, you heard that correctly, all of them). Unfortunately Peeples fell short of these for me, and not because I’m part Italian.

Peeples tells the story of Wade Walker (Craig Robinson), a children’s entertainer who performs songs that help kids deal with stress. Hoping to become a child psychologist in the future, Wade opens the film with a facetious number advising youngsters to “say it not spray it,” or to use your words instead of peeing on things.

Walker’s quirky career obviously never held him back with the females, as he somehow landed the beautiful and successful attorney Grace Peeples, (Kerry Washington). Wade’s plans to propose over the weekend are ruined as Grace heads home to the Hamptons for a family reunion. And what’s worse is that Wade is not invited, having never met her family despite dating for over a year.

In an incredibly romantic gesture, Wade shows up to the Peeples’ mansion to surprise Grace and win over her family. However, upon his arrival it is clear that the Peeples have never heard of Wade.

The Peeples family is openly compared to the Kennedys what with their beautiful estate, conservative demeanor, and the local clout of the family patriarch, Judge Virgil Peeples (David Alan Grier). Early on Wade forms a bond with Grace’s mother Daphne (S. Epatha Merkerson), an eccentric diva and ex-singing sensation. But Virgil is openly disapproving of Wade as he clearly favors Grace over his other two children. But Wade soon discovers that the Peeples are far from perfect—many bizarre secrets about the family, including closet nudists and a secret lesbian relationship, reveal themselves over the course of the weekend.

These oddities are accompanied by Wade continually finding himself in a number of embarrassing situations—like forgetting his wallet while grocery shopping with the family, and offering a bottle of wine to Daphne, a reformed alcoholic.

The film plays out like a waterd-down and unnecessary remake of Meet The Parents mixed with Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Though the characters are likable, they weren’t consistent. I had a hard time believing that such a rigid and private man as Virgil would participate in a nudist colony in his community. There was simply no character development. These twists and turns of the family’s quirks were added for shock value and cheap laughs but instead come across forced and strained. In exchange for a well thought out script, Peeples was a seemingly rushed project with no character continuity. I love a good light comedy; however this was just not funny.

Though I love Craig Robinson, I didn’t feel he could pull of the role of Wade Walker. Robinson just wasn’t believable as a vulnerable and goofy character the way Ben Stiller so perfectly portrayed. His performance made you very aware that he was acting, which removes you from the entire experience. Kerry Washington can usually do no wrong in my eyes but watching her in Peeples I felt myself asking, “what are you doing here?”

All in all I found Peeples to be exactly what I thought it would be… and not in a good way. Perhaps Tyler Perry should consider dropping his cavalier title additions as it may be starting to ward off customers.