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Tyler Perry doesn’t need critics — and may not need new audiences.

The man behind the big-boned, no-nonsense, grandmotherly Madea, Tyler Perry, may have a crossover hit—not that the enormously successful, prolific writer-actor-director-producer thinks in such terms. His plays, DVDs, movies, TV show (House of Payne on TBS, which has just signed a deal for another Perry program) and book have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars, almost entirely from the pockets of African-American audiences. His latest film, The Family That Preys—his fifth directorial effort, starting with Madea’s Family Reunion from 2006—is the first to feature whites not just with speaking parts (uncommon enough in his previous efforts) but in lead roles.

As best friends of 30 years and matriarchs with vastly different parenting strategies, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard star in a melodrama with signature Perry themes about the evils of materialism and the virtues of hard labor and Christian faith. Whether or not his film reaches new audiences, however, seems to be of little concern. “The whole thing with this movie is that I was just telling another story,” the director, 39, says from Baltimore, doing promotional work for his film. “There isn’t an attempt to reach a white audience. What I’d love to see happen to the audience is that it continues to grow no matter who’s watching. I have a story about a Holocaust survivor and a jazz singer in 1947 that I wrote 15 years ago, so I’ve got all kinds of stories that I’m going to be telling over the next few years. But sure, I’d love for white people to come.”

The truth is, Perry really doesn’t need any more popularity. His films, often made for less than $15 million, have grossed an average of $48 million at the box office. Though his work has begun to be taken more seriously by critics—The New York Times’ A.O. Scott, in his review of March’s Meet the Browns, praised the director as “one of the few genuine populists left in American filmmaking”—Perry’s movies have frequently been drubbed by reviewers.Even if a Tyler Perry film isn’t for everyone, there’s no denying that one of the pleasures of his work is seeing so many talented—and underemployed—African-American actresses. Playing Woodard’s daughters in The Family That Preys are Sanaa Lathan (Something New) and Taraji P. Henson (Hustle & Flow); Robin Givens gives a fierce performance as the new COO of Bates’s company. “I love writing for women,” Perry explains. “Being the kid who was raised at my mother’s knee, I learned so much about them and how complex they are.”

But no matter how well The Family That Preys does—or how diverse an audience the film attracts—it’s unlikely that Perry will ever screen his films for critics. (This reporter, who saw The Family That Preys “for editorial consideration only” before interviewing Perry, had to sign a waiver—a first—that she would not run a review of the film until opening day.) When asked why, the extremely savvy showman had a response almost as straightforward as one by Madea: “After I screened Diary of a Mad Black Woman for critics and I saw what it cost me to show these movies for them and saw the 99 percent negativity, I realized they don’t get it. Why am I spending this money—because it is my money—to screen for critics when all they’re going to do is bash it? I’m not going to waste the money.”

Merry Tyler, more
One of the more remarkable aspects of Tyler Perry’s film career has been the lightning speed of his output; he’s directed five features in just two and a half years. Although several of his movies originated as plays, which did extremely well on the urban-theater circuit, Perry notes that the celluloid versions “are totally different, so it’s like starting from scratch.” Below, a Perry primer on the titles that precede his latest, The Family That Preys.

Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005) The only film in the Perry oeuvre that he didn’t direct (Darren Grant did) introduces moviegoers to the pistol-packing, Electric Sliding Madea; Perry also stars as Madea’s flatulent brother, Joe, and, without latex, as Brian, Madea’s lawyer nephew. 

Madea’s Family Reunion (2006) In his helming debut, Perry repeats the Madea-Joe-Brian acting feat. Madea avoids jail by taking in a foster child; the big gal’s comic relief leavens some of the earnestness of speeches by characters played by Maya Angelou and Cicely Tyson.

Daddy’s Little Girls (2007) Perry never appears—in or out of fat suit—in this more somber film, which focuses on the budding romance between Idris Elba, as a working-class single dad, and Gabrielle Union’s uptight, loveless lawyer.

Why Did I Get Married? (2007) Again, no Madea—this time, Jill Scott wears the extra padding in Perry’s most satisfying movie, about four upscale couples who vacation together. Perry plays a physician in a sexless marriage to Dreamgirls’ Sharon Leal; Janet Jackson provides superstar wattage and wise counsel.

Meet the Browns (2008) Angela Bassett, who hasn’t had tearjerker scenes like these since What’s Love Got to Do with It, moves with her brood from Chicago to Georgia, where she finds the love of a good man. Madea and Joe appear in a memorable cameo, but cutup Jenifer Lewis earns most of the laughs.

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