We meet the hard-up family of matriarch Grandma Hattie Mae (Patrice Lovely) as they prepare for the day. Teenage son Wallie (Jeffrey Lewis) has been out all night - presumably, up to no good - and is just getting in as his Momma, Rose (Kislyck Halsey) is getting up for work. She is a maid in the house of a rich man named Mr. Willis (Maurice Lauchner), working under a smart-alecky yet sympathetic butler named Floyd (Palmer Williams Jr.). Her husband, Frank (Tony Hightower) has been desperate to find work ever since his plan to flip houses was destroyed by the recent economic downturn. As a matter of fact, the bank is trying to foreclose on his current home. He used it to finance his failed endeavors. As luck would have it, Mr. Willis needs a new gardener and handyman and hires Frank to do the job. Of course, his much younger golddigger of a wife (Alexis Jones) sees the physically fit new servant and sizes up her chances of seducing him. When Floyd sees something he probably shouldn't have, everyone's faith (literally) is tested.

Since he starts from such a sincere place, since he gives us complex characters with strong Christian convictions that we can understand and get behind, Perry's The HAVES and the HAVE NOTS is often very powerful and profound. The self-contained cottage industry has frequently been accused of catering to the women in the audience by making all his male characters brawny buff eye candy, weak-willed dopes, or even worse, abusive, strident pigs. Here, all the guys are good ones. Mr. Willis is overweight, worried that no one will love him for himself (not his money) and is desperate to have a sincere soulmate. Similarly, Frank is a defeated yet proud black father who will not tolerate letting his specious son squander his talents (he's supposedly very, very smart) on a fiscal quick-fix like dealing drugs. Even Floyd, whose more or less included to add a Y chromosome to the abundant broad comedy, is not your typical valet. He's acerbic, confrontational, and often on point. It's telling that he mocks Mr. Willis openly to his face and the befuddled boss takes it in stride.

It's the women that are more worrisome this time around, though we've seen their type in other Perry productions. Of the three, Grandma Hattie Mae is the least concerning. Of sure, Ms. Lovely plays her as an over the top mugging mess, complete with references to a prostitution/stripper past and lots of physical shtick, but she's also a calming and loving presence in her troubled house. Her mid-show shout out to God, ala one of Perry's original gospel tinged songs, is indeed inspired. Then there is Rose, who talks a good game (she's saved, believes in herself and her man) and yet immediately starts jumping to the wrong conclusions about her spouse. For a while, we're afraid she will somehow transform into a sullen, one note shrew, but then Perry switches things up, giving her both rational and irrational motivations and reasons. Of course, every single TP stage show needs a hissable villain and Ms. Jones is it. While she may look fetching, her turn as the money grubbing Willis witch provides ample opportunity to ball up your fist and shake it at the TV screen.

Even Perry proves capable of change. He doesn't always swing for the rafters this time around. Instead, The HAVES and the HAVE NOTS is grounded in a realism that is frequently difficult to watch. Unless you're Mr. Willis and his 1% pals, we've all wanted to avoid a ringing phone, wonder where Peter is so we can rob him and pay Paul, and fret over financial failures that have little to do with us and more with a post-millennial mindset of corporate greed and "gimme!" This close knit clan is having a very difficult time, and while the play would have you believe that prayer answers everything, we also recognize the pitfalls that come with poverty. Luckily, Perry adds enough humor and halting wisdom to work us through the misery. Palmer Williams Jr. is excellent as the manly Madea substitute, cracking joke after joke at the expense of others and hitting the target almost every time. He's not as over the top as Lovely's Grandma Hattie Mae, but he's equally effective. Maybe even more so. In fact, for those who've followed Perry from the start (including yours truly - this is the 18th stage play and/or film of his I've reviewed), you can see a growing confidence and maturity. Sure, he's still playing to his people, but with The HAVES and The HAVE NOTS, said populace is growing beyond the base.

THE DVD:
As with most Lionsgate releases, the tech specs are solid here. Perry puts out an excellent product, even if it is a bit thin on the added content. The cast interviews are nice, and the behind the scenes peek is interesting, but one longs for the day when the writer himself sits down and addresses his process, from conception to commercial release, in a well-spoken commentary. Oh well. As for the image and sound quality, it's above average. Granted, DVD doesn't offer up the details that an HD presentation does, but for the most part, the 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen image is bright and colorful. The video direction by Derrick Doose is a bit wonky (wooden and one dimensional) but what more do you expect from a stage play caught on camera. Sonically, the situation is much more profound. All of Perry's actors have headset microphones and the Dolby Digital 5.1 offering presents both dialogue and singing in amazing clarity. The only thing missing, and it remains a pet peeve of mine, is no audience reactions. Sure, we get laughter, but the minute a musical number ends it's as if someone purposely jacks down the volume on the crowd. You'd swear they didn't like the interludes based on the lack of a response.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Having since been spun-off into a far more soapy TV series for Ms. Winfrey's OWN, fans should seek out this interesting stage prequel to see what The HAVES and The HAVE NOTS was really all about. No brazen bed hopping or Upstairs, Downstairs class struggles. There's also racial element to the TV show that is completely absent from the play. While you may not find yourself weeping at the end of this simple story, you will have a least a few of your less cynical heartstrings pulled. The HAVES and The HAVE NOTS works because of character, not contrivance. It's still Tyler Perry, but in quantity, the phenom finds quality here. Recommended.

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