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Family That Preys, The

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 14 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 40 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy
Written by: Tyler Perry
Directed by: Tyler Perry
Release Date:
Theatrical: September 12, 2008
DVD: January 13, 2009
Running Time: 111 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for thematic material, sexual references and brief violence
Starring Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Tyler Perry, Cole Hauser, Sanaa Lathan, Rockmond Dunbar, Taraji P. Henson, and Kadee Strickland
Wealthy socialite Charlotte Cartwright and her dear friend Alice Pratt, a working class woman of high ideals, have enjoyed a lasting friendship throughout many years. Suddenly, their lives become mired in turmoil as their adult children’s extramarital affairs, unethical business practices and a dark paternity secret threaten to derail family fortunes and unravel the lives of all involved. Alice’s self-centered newlywed daughter Andrea is betraying her trusting husband Chris by engaging in a torrid affair with her boss and mother’s best friend’s son William. While cheating on his wife Jillian with a string of ongoing dalliances with his mistress Andrea, William’s true focus is to replace the COO of his mother’s lucrative construction corporation. Meanwhile, Alice’s other daughter Pam, a kind but no nonsense woman married to a hard working construction worker, tries to steer the family in a more positive direction. (Lionsgate)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Daddy's Little Girls Diary of a Mad Black Woman Madea Goes to Jail Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site Madea’s Family Reunion
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
TV Guide Ken Fox
Thanks to some first-rate acting from its stars, it ranks among Perry's best.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey
Was it just three years ago that Perry made his feature debut with "Diary of a Mad Black Woman?" Then his filmmaking was strictly amateur; now his sweeping pans and portentous closeups approach those of Pedro Almódovar.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Stephen Farber
Woodard conveys the rock-solid values of a true Christian without ever falling into sappiness. Bates is enjoyably larger-than-life, as the role requires.
Read Full Review >Variety Peter Debruge
Bates and Woodard strike up a real dynamic, and picture gives the duo room to improvise, leading to one raucous scene after another as they Thelma-and-Louise it in a top-down convertible.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Bob Baker
Dude, what made you refuse to screen your film for critics before it opened Friday? I'm betting you would have received an earful of praise for your writing and directing.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Staff (Not credited)
Perry's notoriously overstuffed plots have sometimes been top-heavy, but this movie, like Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters," hangs on an elegant structure that doesn't feel forced.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Gregory Kirschling
All over the place:It's a boardroom/family/couples/road-trip story.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Sam Adams
Perry deserves due respect for exploiting an untapped niche.
Read Full Review >USA Today Claudia Puig
Though better than most of Perry's broad comedies, The Family That Preys still suffers from excessive predictability and mawkish sentiment, which detracts from the story's believability.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Chuck Wilson
What's memorable here is the sparkling chemistry between Bates and Woodard, whose scenes together are a pleasure to watch, even as one thinks that their next outing should be to co-teach a master class entitled, "How To Rise Above Cliché."
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Steve Davis
Contradictions abound in this messy and unfocused drama that purports to believe that family is everything, when all else fails.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Reece Pendleton
The usual mawkishness is made slightly more palatable by the two leads and by Perry himself.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Ty Burr
Family, sadly, is a plate of leftovers: a bland, baldly written melodrama about two longtime best friends and their messed-up families.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Stephen Holden
The suds that cascade through Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys more than equal the cubic footage from nighttime soaps like "Dallas," "Dynasty" and their offspring.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.9 (out of 10) based on 40 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Lawrence T gave it a10:
Perry's best so far. Positive reviews.
Michelle J. gave it a9:
I loved the entire life lesson that this movie brought out. I really felt like I learned from it. Real life aspects were brought out in this movie. It did not have a perfect happy ending for every one but then again, life does not always have a perfect happy ending. I LOVED THIS MOVIE!
Deniece F. gave it a10:
This was an excellent movie! I saw it at the movies and will definitiely be adding it to my dvd collection.
Pat E. gave it a10:
Do yourself a favor and forget the two negative reviews that were left. The other 34 reviewers have their heads on straight. Now back to it...This movie was very good, sure it isn't anything new, but well executed and well acted by tyler perry and the rest of the cast. Any fan of Tyler Perry will enjoy this one unless you were expecting it to be a religious flick.
Jay H. gave it a3:
Yet more Tyler Perry far fetched melodramatics, nice acting but the screenplay is completely unconvincing. Poor direction, fair score. Unmemorable and pointless.
Charles W. gave it a1:
I was between watching the family that preys or high school musical 3 but i decided to watch the family that preys with my homies intead of HSM 3 with my girl and i really got bored in this movie so without the movie staff noticing i changed to the HSM 3 screen and enjoyed a great movie. Dont watch this movie. It is not worth it if you dont like senseless movies.
Judy K. gave it a10:
Wonderful the acting,,,,edting...the music thank you Tyler Perry for a movie I could watch and feel good about as a Christian, Next time Tyler get a better wig.
