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Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story

DocumentaryBiography

An intimate portrait of Tyler Perry and his harrowing but faithful road to the top of an industry that didn't always include him.

Year

2023

Duration

1h 55m

IMDb

7.5

Hero Poster

Cast

Gelila Bekele

Director

Armani Ortiz

Director

Lucky Johnson

Self - Tyler's Cousin (Aunt Jerry's son)

Cast

Gelila Bekele

Director

Armani Ortiz

Director

Lucky Johnson

Self - Tyler's Cousin (Aunt Jerry's son)

Tyler Perry

Self

Mellody Hobson

Self - Co-CEO & President, Ariel Investments

JB

Jerry Banks

Self - Tyler's Aunt (Maxine's Sister)

Oprah Winfrey

Self - Global Media Leader, CEO of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

Elvin Ross

Self - Childhood Friend

Elvin Ross

Self - Composer

MP

Maxine Perry

Self - Tyler's Mother

PM

Paul Morton

Self - Tyler's Childhood Pastor, Greater St. Stephen Church

Killer Mike

Self - Artist

Killer Mike

Self - Activist

Killer Mike

Self - Atlanta Native

KC

Keith Corson

Self - Professor of Film, University of Central Arkansas

Whoopi Goldberg

Self - Co-Host, ABC 'The View', EGOT Actor

TM

TreaAndrea M. Russworm

Self - Author

TM

TreaAndrea M. Russworm

Self - Prof. in the Interactive Media, USC

SN

Samantha N. Sheppard

Self - Author

SN

Samantha N. Sheppard

Self - Prof. of Cinema & Media Studies, Cornell University

CH

Carl Hancock Rux

Self - Writer

CH

Carl Hancock Rux

Self - Multidisciplinary Artist

Kenya Barris

Self - Writer

Kenya Barris

Self - Producer

Kenya Barris

Self - Director

MP

Michael Paseornek

Self - Former President of Production at Lionsgate Films

Gelila Bekele

Writer

Trailer

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Comments

10 Comments

Cyrille Dec 11, 2023

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.

user7980524970050Dec 1, 2023

Baby first of all let me say I don't play bout my Uncle Tyla. Second, I loved the documentary. I truly did. I just finished watching it for the second time. I've seen the critical reviews and I kind of agree with their points about the biopic not going into too much depth. With that being said, oh well! Tyler Perry aint gotta go into depth, he don't owe us that. Today's climate makes people feel entitled to an explanation on people's lives. If someone close to someone dies, social media demands a long drawn out post and obvious sadness to validate that person's grief. I did find out a few things I didn't know. I remember him loosely describing the inspiration behind the Madea character but this story gave me a full understanding of how that character came about. It culminated beautifully to explain exactly where his pain came from and exactly how and why he manifested it the way he did. Of all that Tyler Perry has gave in inspiration, a voice to our community, opportunity, film making, a platform, his studio, to name a few. He don't owe us a thing else. He's well deserving of everything great that has come his way and everything that's left to come. I've not seen every show but I've always loved and respected him for doing them because I understood his vision and, like him, could see the bigger picture. This documentary, like a lot of his other work may not be to everyone's satisfaction or expectations but his fans will continue to support him and I don't think he mad at that. I liked it so much I made this account to write a review. Don't play with my uncle tyla! :)

TigerNov 30, 2023

source: Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story

saraandhanaNov 30, 2023

This man blazed a trail and challenged the status quo of how things are done in Hollywood. He definitely turned his trauma into triumph and inspires us all to thrive in spite of torment. I learned even more about him and was reminded of what I already had learned about him over the years as a fan from the traveling play days. I appreciated the footage of the many icons who are no longer with us. Those giants impacted our community in a memorable and meaningful way through their craft. I was glad they were able to witness the opening of TPS! I finished the film with inspiration and motivation to continue to go after my own personal goals. This is a must see!!

Nancy AjramNov 30, 2023

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!

NikitaNov 30, 2023

My wife and I recently watched Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story (2023) on Prime. The storyline delves into Tyler Perry's upbringing, family dynamics, and inner struggles, showcasing how he used these experiences to fuel his success, work ethic, and determination. Co-directed by Gelila Bekele (Tyler Perry's child's mother) and Armani Ortiz (Ruthless), the film provides a profound exploration of Tyler Perry's family dynamic and how he coped with it. The message that "you aren't the only one out there, and you can be successful too" resonates well. While I appreciated the journey of his artistry and success, I wished they had delved more into his partnerships and investments, exploring the artistry behind business collaborations. It could have been interesting to learn more about his collaboration with Opera. In conclusion, the human aspects of this documentary are a solid 10/10, and I'm grateful Perry shared his story. I would rate this documentary a 9/10 and highly recommend it.

Laxmi PokhrelNov 30, 2023

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.

JLive MusicNov 30, 2023

Hearing how young Tyler was brutalized was heartbreaking. The whole time I wished his stepfather would apologize, but when the nephew tried to visit the man and he cursed him and closed the gate on him, I knew that man was evil and didn't have it in him to show compassion. If one message was clear, that was how much he loved his mother. I wondered why we didn't get to meet any of Tyler's siblings and what type of relationship he has with them. Another thing I observed was that his mean stepfather lived in a nice home, while the aunt who clearly loves him doesn't. He said he supports his family but the documentary only indicated support to his stepfather, who don't even deserve it! It was disappointing that we didn't get to meet Ahmad, his son. It was weird how they hid his identity through the entire documentary. I recommend watching!

Amine_lhracheNov 30, 2023

I like that Tyler Perry himself gives God glory for his success. He talks about his faith in God. Now with that said WHY would some commentator, Samantha foolishly describe Tyler Perry as the "father son and holy spirit" That sounds so blasphemous to me. Others referred to him as " savior". How crazy is that?! And as a Christian myself it was offensive to hear. With that said I appreciate the glimpse of his life story that this movie offered, and the look into his personality. I like the clips of Tyler himself speaking about God and his story is truly miraculous. God kept the man no doubt. I think this story will speak to many who suffered childhood abuse. Tyler Perry stepped out on faith from a Word he said he heard from God and God blessed him.

Hesky TedNov 30, 2023

Omg!! Mr. Tyler Perry Sir. My God!! This is worth Watching! You can feel, hear his story and you deserve everybit of success! When you truly allow God to rule and reign in your life, the Overflowing of Blessings your cup definitely runs over! It's moving and you can see the level of process that it took for Tyler Perry to get to where he is now. The rocks that was thrown he used them as stepping stones to walk through to the other side. When you watch this it will definitely give you hope that God has not forgotten about you. God is a reader of those that diligently seek him! Tanke a bow Tyler!