Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story

Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story is a beautiful movie. This documentary is so inspiring with lessons on the importance of forgiveness, faith and perseverance. And I learned so much about Tyler Perry!

The movie reveals the childhood trauma that Tyler Perry went through and shows how he became the most successful African American filmmaker we all know. It's also a tribute to his late mother, Maxine, hence the title of the movie.

According to co-directors Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz, this movie took ten years to make. I had no idea what Tyler went through as a child because he had a pretty private life, so it was incredible to learn more about him and see how strong he is. We already know about his success, but in this documentary, we get to see all the challenges he faced. It highlights many aspects of his life like his faith, his abusive father, his previous studios, the start of his famous character Madea and the impact he had on the movie industry. Something else that is interesting that I learned about from this film is that Tyler Perry's newest studio is on an old confederate army base in Atlanta, which really makes this movie come full circle. The beauty of this rich documentary is that it provides so many different points of views from so many different people and perspectives. We hear from his supporters, his haters, his family, and his friends, such as Oprah Winfrey, Ozzie Areu, Gayle King and Ari Emanuel. In addition to hearing from all of these people, the movie also uncovers never-before-seen videos of Maxine Perry, Tyler's mom, which is really special since she has passed away and she's the movie's namesake.

The film's message is all about forgiveness. Even after all the abuse, Tyler was able to forgive and move on from his trauma, which really allowed him to grow. Be aware that this movie deals with abuse, has a few graphic images and also some profanity.

I give Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It releases on Prime Video on November 17, 2023. By Katherine S., KIDS FIRST!

I never knew Tayler's journey and it was so moving to hear it. Going from such struggle in New Orleans growing up to owning his very own studio.

It's always incredible to see the journey of ordinary people who go on to achieve such great things.

I will almost certainly watch this again and with friends. His love for his mother reminds me of mine and the name of the show is just perfect.

Don't usually write reviews for shows/ movies but this one I had to. This has made my Sunday and I would encourage everyone to go and watch it .

I hope to one day visit the studio in Atlanta to see physically the great things that can be achieved.

A current documentary airing on Amazon Prime regarding our favorite Madea performer, one Tyler Perry. Tracing his hard scrabble roots in New Orleans where he was in an abusive home (getting beaten by his father on the regular) but after finding a calling somewhat in the church where he could exercise his comedic muscles much to the chagrin of his pastor, he then wrote a stage play where he used his own money to stage it to widespread ignorance since practically no one showed up to see it. W/this outcome, Perry still maintained to push forward but not until he decided to put the show on in Atlanta did he finally gain traction w/the people which would become his bread & butter; a large black audience who would occasionally go to mainstream theatrical productions but found in Perry's a safe space for the type of characters they were more familiar & comfortable with. From this success, he decided to mount the same play but now as a film w/him playing his signature character, Madea, which struck a chord w/the viewing public creating a financial windfall for the production which Perry would replicate w/many of his subsequent releases. With the money coming in, Perry decided to flex his finances & build studios in vacant buildings finding it was not enough so setting his sights on an abandoned army base, the die was cast w/Perry buying the property thereby opening up the first black owned film studio complex (even naming some of the buildings after some current & past luminaries like Halle Berry, Spike Lee, Denzel Washington, Sidney Poitier, Oprah Winfrey, et al). Not shying away from the criticism that's dogged his career of his creations pandering to the lowest common denominator (something I myself have said when asked), Perry has embraced what his critics call his shortcomings & used them as strengths. A good doc to be sure but still feeling a bit like it was made inhouse where the Kool-aid was not only served but drank on repeat.

The anticipation for Amazon's 'Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story' led me to expect a detailed exploration of Tyler Perry's upbringing, family dynamics, and his journey in Hollywood.

However, the documentary falls short of expectations, offering only a few scenes where Perry discusses his early days in theatre and television production.

The narrative lacks vulnerability, with Perry speaking sparingly about his abusive childhood.

The film raises the intriguing question of how Perry's life would unfold without the pain that shaped him, yet it provides scant information on this crucial aspect.

Many stories are introduced but left unexplored, creating more questions than answers. The documentary feels controlled, with a sense that certain narratives are carefully curated.

Despite occasional church services and choirs, there's a lack of substantial content that viewers would eagerly want to know.

Perry's criticism of the traditional Hollywood system's wastefulness lacks conviction, and the documentary leaves unanswered questions about his creative process.

The excessive focus on race, coupled with repetitive language, detracts from the overall impact.

The documentary's repetitive nature, constant praise, and lack of in-depth exploration make it fall short of delivering the comprehensive and detailed account expected from such a prominent filmmaker's story.

Let me explain,

Tyler being a major filmmaker, I expected a better documentary.

The documentary predominantly showcases scenes of Perry opening studios, attending premieres, and making appearances on talk shows with figures like Oprah.

The content seems shallow, lacking the detailed insights that viewers were hoping for. Perry, dressed impeccably in suits, offers little personal disclosure, leaving the audience wanting more substance and context.

The documentary heavily emphasizes Perry's spirituality and frequently delves into discussions about race, highlighting his triumphs as a black man overcoming challenges in the industry.

While the theme is undoubtedly crucial, the documentary fails to provide sufficient depth and context, rendering it forgettable and disappointing. Perry's appearances on various talk shows appear to offer more engaging insights than this documentary.

One positive aspect is Perry's evident appreciation for his mother and aunt, providing some touching moments.

Overall, while there may be some takeaway from the documentary, it offers disappointingly little in terms of a comprehensive and detailed exploration of Tyler Perry's life and career.

The seasons of his life, childhood, teen years. Early adult hood were beautifully reproduced and garnered an immense amount of depth to assist in understanding the man - Tyler Perry. This documentary also allows the viewer to share his life's challenges, losses and failures and how he achieved mass success both career wise and financial successes. It extremely emotional documentary for me to digest. What I most appreciated about this documentary was it also showed the parasitic criticism of so many people who failed to understand that Tyler Perry is more than an a self centered business icon but a man with a plan that exceeds any criticism. He is portrayed as of of a man of vision that has catapulted him into national and international success. Just looking at the timeline and tracking his success (to this point). -- An American Story of the Fulfillment of Dreams. And philosophical lessons for many to learn. There is a Part Two to this story yet to be written and you can feel the power of commitment to the development of more and more groundbreaking achievement.