HOLLYWOOD—The only way one could not be aware of “Tyler Perry’s The Single Mom’s Club” is if they have been living under a rock. Advertisements and promotions for the new comedy/dramedy have been countless on television, radio and billboards.

Note: Mabel ‘Madea’ Simmons does not appear in this feature, but that doesn’t mean the funny is limited.  Perry who serves as an actor, producer, writer and director of the picture, balances heart and laughter so well in this picture it’s a treat for audiences.

The film revolves around five single mom’s who bond when their troubled youth get into trouble at school. The ladies discuss the ups and downs of being a single mom and choose to do something I’ve frankly never heard of, to create a single mom’s club. Is this a female driven movie, absolutely, but that does not mean males can’t learn a thing or two from the picture. Many of us are well aware of people who are single mom’s, who are doing their best to raise their kids while working full-time jobs and attempting to balance a personal life at the same time.

There are indeed some comedy stealers in this picture thanks to characters Lytia (Cocoa Brown) and Jan (Wendi McLendon-Covey) who just speak their mind and deliver some sensational one-liners that will leave the audience in stitches. While it may seem like these ladies should get along, the chemistry between all the ladies is spot on including May (Nia Long), Hillary (Amy Smart) and Esperanza (Zulay Henao).

There is plenty of eye candy for the female fan base thanks to Latin soap hunk William Levy, who plays Manny a love interest for Esperanza’s character. Perry does a well job of balancing the female perspective of the picture, with the male perspective as well.

We don’t just see these women interact with raising their kids and working, we see them attempt to get back into the dating arena and the male suitors who have to grapple with the fact that dating is a package deal. It’s not just the woman, but the kids too. That’s something not many men easily adapt to, so to see that relationship and issue addressed in a movie of this magnitude is critical to say the least.

“Tyler Perry’s The Single Mom’s Club” presents a slice of American life/reality that is not always depicted on the big screen, while it’s not always happy go-lucky as so many people expect. It’s a story that needs to be told, as there are plenty of women raising boys and girls who will become the future of tomorrow, women are indeed some of the most powerful creatures on the planet. They deal and encounter things that we males can’t even begin to imagine, and this movie provides the audience, a glimpse into that ongoing journey.

By LaDale Anderson