Diary of a Mad Black Woman

16%

Tomatometer

114 Reviews

86%

Audience Score

50,000+ Ratings

After 18 years of marriage to lawyer Charles (Steve Harris), Helen (Kimberly Elise) is shocked when he announces he's ending their marriage and shacking up with Brenda (Lisa Marcos). Helen retreats to the house of her grandmother Madea (Tyler Perry), who helps her destroy much of Charles' property, earning her house arrest. While Charles prepares for the trial of a corrupt client, Helen is courted by Orlando (Shemar Moore), an affectionate moving man with strong Christian values. Read More Read Less

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Diary of a Mad Black Woman

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Tyler Perry's successful play can't make the move to the screen; this mix of slapstick, melodrama and spirituality lacks a consistent tone.

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Critics Reviews

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Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Syrupy drama -- not much here for kids.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 22, 2010

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Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Rated: 2/4

Aug 14, 2007

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Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

It's never less than watchable, a bizarre hybrid that somehow works as a whole, even though its various components don't mesh.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 18, 2005

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Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

The film is blessed with the presence of Cicely Tyson, who apparently was desperately for one last cinematic fling.

Rated: 1.5/4.0

Sep 6, 2020

Full Review

Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

Dustin Putman

TheFilmFile.com

It is a film full of jagged edges, but one that is sincere and beguiling at its core.

Rated: 2.5/4

Nov 14, 2013

Full Review

Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

[Jams] together not two but three separate genres that probably should have remained that way.

Rated: 3/10

Jan 19, 2012

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Audience Reviews

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Granee R I loved everything about it. I've watched it probably like seven times. I like everything that Tyler Perry produces. Great actors. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/25/24 Full Review Audience Member Not great, not terrible. Funny moments Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/12/22 Full Review Richardo M This is the best movie Tyler Perry ever made! He wrote it right and everything. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/01/22 Full Review Audience Member What a bizarre movie. It's like a soap opera, to the point where I thought the opening scene must be a dream and then the main character would wake up. Nope! Her husband actually had a truckload of his mistress' clothes delivered to their mansion, had his wife's clothes removed and told her to move out…on their wedding anniversary.It only gets more ridiculous from there. There's a bunch of Christianity sprinkled in which I thought was very strange. I was surprised that I actually loved the scenes with Madea in them. I'd never seen any of the movies prior to this and she's hilarious, but she felt incredibly out of place in what felt like a very serious romantic drama. Though as I continued to watch, I realized this is a dark comedy. It must be purposely over the top, otherwise there is no explanation for how terrible it is. It's a fun ride and overall I enjoyed watching it. The worst part of this film is Orlando's wig. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member I was really irritated with Charles in the movie. Helen was being far too sweet to Charles, in my opinion. Aside from that, I had a good time viewing this film and will watch it again. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member A violent clash of shrill low brow comedy and soapy lifetime melodrama and amatarish direction, this was painful. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Diary of a Mad Black Woman

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Cast & Crew

Darren Grant Director Kimberly Elise Helen McCarter Steve Harris Charles McCarter Shemar Moore Orlando Tamara Taylor Debrah Lisa Marcos Brenda

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Synopsis After 18 years of marriage to lawyer Charles (Steve Harris), Helen (Kimberly Elise) is shocked when he announces he's ending their marriage and shacking up with Brenda (Lisa Marcos). Helen retreats to the house of her grandmother Madea (Tyler Perry), who helps her destroy much of Charles' property, earning her house arrest. While Charles prepares for the trial of a corrupt client, Helen is courted by Orlando (Shemar Moore), an affectionate moving man with strong Christian values.

Director: Darren Grant
Producer: Tyler Perry, Reuben Cannon
Screenwriter: Tyler Perry
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Diary of a Woman Productions Inc.
Rating: PG-13 (Drug Content|Crude Sexual References|Some Violence|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 25, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 27, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.4M
Runtime: 1h 56m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)