Why Did I Get Married Too

review updated April 7, 2010

Has Tyler Perry finally grown up as a writer and director? It appears so with his latest project “Why Did I Get Married Too?” This sequel to the 2007 hit has all the same actors reprising their roles: Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Malik Yoba, Richard T. Jones, “Dreamgirls” Sharon Leal, Tasha Smith, and, of course, Perry himself. The cast is rounded out with critically acclaimed veterans Louis Gossett Jr. and Cecily Tyson lending star power to this Hollywood outsider-turned-media powerhouse’s movie.

Like its predecessor, “Why Did I Get Married Too?” follows four couples who have been friends for years on their annual marriage retreat. This time, instead of a hideaway in the Colorado mountains, the couples have rented a house on the sandy beaches of an island paradise in the Bahamas.

• Terry and Diane (Perry & Leal) have apparently worked out their marital problems from the last film (she was more career-oriented and secretly had her tubes tied while he was hoping for a second child).

• Patricia and Gavin (Jackson & Yoba) continue to try to mask their growing marital discord as Patricia celebrates her latest book on success in relationships and marriage.

• Marcus (Michael Jai White) and Angela (Tasha Smith) are still as volatile as ever—she still does not trust him after a series of infidelities, and she wants everybody to know that she is the boss [sadly for Smith, she is once again typecast as an emasculating, domineering loud mouth].

• Newlyweds Troy and Sheila have recently moved from Colorado to Atlanta to be closer to Sheila’s friends and family (in the last film Sheila was married to Mike (Jones) and divorced him after learning about his affair with another of her friends; Troy was there to help pick up the pieces. Strangely enough, Mike, now single and full of regret for mistreating Sheila, still attends the couples’ retreat—his presence certainly causes quite a stir.

Unlike the first film, “…Too,” gives us additional insight into the personal lives of each couple; the retreat lasts only a weekend and the audience is invited to go home with each of the couples where we are treated to an insiders’ view behind the masks. Each couple has problems—secrets, money troubles, communication breakdowns, grief and loss—is love enough to hold them together?

Perry gives us a mature film here (read—NOT for the kids); none of the silliness of his more popular films where he dons the fat suit and becomes Madea, the feisty matriarch who made him a household name. This is the type of film that Perry was made to write—films that are weighty and important, proving that the stuff of life is not all fun-and-games—real relationships take work and respect and dedication. Perry tackles issues of fidelity in fidelity in marriage, substance abuse, honesty and open communication—concepts that will resonate with Christian audiences.

There are many references to sex in this film—the married couples talk about it (including conversations about specific “private” acts; there are also scenes where the couples engage in sexual behavior (this is a film about marriage—sex is a healthy part of that relationship and is considered holy). There is a scene where a non-married couple is “caught in the act.”

Additionally, some may struggle with a Christian artist, like Perry, whose characters often use “unChristian” language, but getting past that is easy when you appreciate the message of this film. The language is coarse, at times; the characters’ use of bad language is authentic and “in the moment.” Nevertheless, it certainly can be off-putting.

“Why Did I Get Married Too?” is a darker film for Perry, but he handles it all well. It is a departure from his usual family-friendly fare, and has earned its’ PG-13 rating; for the church-going Tyler Perry fan, this film may be a bit much, but it does posit him as a force to be reckoned with by Hollywood standards. Gripping and sexy without being salacious—no nudity (and for Janet Jackson—that is a miracle in itself). Definitely worth viewing for the questions it raises and the real issues it explores!

Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/Nudity: Moderate

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