Diner owner Alice Pratt (Alfre Woodard) and construction company CEO Charlotte Cartwright (Kathy Bates) have been friends for over 30 years. Alice has two daughters: haughty career woman Andrea (Sanaa Lathan) and straightforward, hard-working Pam (Taraji P. Henson). The former works for—and is having an affair with—Charlotte's conniving son William (Cole Hauser), whose wife Jillian (KaDee Strickland) suspects something is amiss. That's more than can be said for Andrea's clueless husband Chris (Rockmond Dunbar), who also works for the Cartwrights. When a new employee (Robin Givens) is handpicked by Charlotte to keep William in check, things are stirred up for the adulterer, forcing a showdown that threatens to reveal all the unsavory secrets in both households. Although writer-director-playwright Tyler Perry (who also plays Pam's loyal husband) tries hard to mimic old-fashioned Southern gothic style, he tilts a bit too heavily toward exaggeration in both his plot twists and character interactions (a climactic confrontation hinges on a surprise revelation that's as ludicrous as it is unexpected). Still, Perry's considerable fan base will likely be amply entertained by his latest effort. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include a “Casting the Family” featurette (11 min.), a “Two Families, Two Legends” behind-the-scenes featurette (10 min.), eight minutes of deleted scenes, a “Delving Into the Dinner” segment on set design (7 min.), a four-minute “Preying in the Big Easy” location featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven film.] (E. Hulse)[Blu-ray Review—Dec. 21, 2010—Lionsgate, 109 min., PG-13, $19.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2008's The Family That Preys sports a great transfer and DTS-HD 5.1 audio. Blu-ray extras are identical to the previous DVD release, including a “Casting the Family” featurette (11 min.), a “Two Families, Two Legends” behind-the-scenes featurette (10 min.), eight minutes of deleted scenes, a “Delving Into the Dinner” segment on set design (7 min.), a “Preying in the Big Easy” location featurette (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray debut for an uneven film.]
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys
Lionsgate, 111 min., PG-13, DVD: $29.99, Jan. 13 Volume 24, Issue 1
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys
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