Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club (Rated T)
Cast: Nia Long, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Cocoa Brown
Genre: Comedy Drama
Dwight's Rating:

out of 4
Men are apparently the very worst thing and the very best thing to ever happen to women. That's clearly the outlook in the world of actor/writer/producer/director Tyler Perry.
It's a prevailing theme in many of his movies, particularly his comedies, and especially those with his alternate persona, Madea. He has penned many-a-tale of a distressed but honorable woman -- usually in an emotionally or physically abusive relationship with a scoundrel of a man -- given renewed hope in "man" kind after meeting a perfect, usually spiritually enlightened gentleman. The fair lady is ultimately rescued by her knight in shining armor.
That's largely the case in his newest film, "The Single Moms Club". Perry delves into the world of downtrodden single mothers, mostly abandoned by worthless men, or just too busy for any romantic relationships. The official literature for the show says, "When five struggling single moms put aside their differences to form a support group, they find inspiration and laughter in their new sisterhood, and help each other overcome the obstacles that stand in their way."
To you, that might sound either quite promising or like a painful nightmare. This movie manages to equally straddle both.
There are some bright spots, mainly in the performances of a few of the cast members who try to make the most of the wonky plot.
Wendi McLendon-Covey, currently starring in TV's "The Goldbergs" -- formerly of "Reno 911!", and who stole scenes in 2011's "Bridesmaids" -- is proving with every new role, that she is destined for greatness. The radiant Nia Long is always a joy to watch, and usually seems to transcend the quality of her movie scripts. And the talented Cocoa Brown, along with McLendon-Covey, provides most of the few laugh out loud moments.
Also, the exploration of the relationships between the women, and of their budding romances with their rescue beaux is not entirely unpleasant, and is reminiscent of some other innocuous (and some would say, unfunny) romantic comedies with large ensemble casts like "Valentine's Day" and the similar "New Year's Eve".
But weighing things down are the contrivances and the social commentary. With the latter, whether intentional or not, serious statements are being made here that could be seen as offensive. The women are brought together by an incident involving their children at their school. That the only children in this incident are those of single mothers is bizarre.
And, as we get to know these women, we realize that besides some odd personality quirks, they are all relatively decent and well-intentioned. So, once again, as per the Tyler Perry-pattern mentioned before, we can only deduce that these poor ladies were innocent bystanders and had very little to do with the demise of their relationships. It was all as a result of those dastardly men in their lives. Right!
The contrivances: the actual support group -- this so-called "club" -- is a total afterthought in the movie, and a very bad one at that. Some things are best left unspoken, as audiences are often savvy enough to get even subtle hints. We didn't need to have the characters repeatedly pronounce, "We should form a club" for most of the two-hour movie, only to have this said nonsensical club come to life for all of what seemed like a five-minute montage. This "club" -- yes, the very title of the movie -- is actually the worst part of the whole film.
Then, of course, there's the forced conflict that inevitably comes with almost all romantic comedies. And in this case, it's exceptionally lame, and solved predictably.
Surprisingly, even before it premiered last Friday, Oprah Winfrey's OWN television network announced it had given the green light to an hour-long drama based on the movie. But this might actually do better as a TV series -- like a less mysterious "Desperate Housewives", perhaps -- especially if the goofy "club" aspects are downplayed or eliminated.
Some of Perry's diehard fans may be pleased with "The Single Moms Club". It is well meaning, and might inspire hope in the hopeless. But some of us long for the day when Perry evolves from these repetitive notions of relationships. Those who watch his OWN TV drama, "The Haves and the Have Nots", know he has it in him to do better, and that he can indeed have a broader and more balanced outlook on the real world.

o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.

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