Acrimony (film)

Last updated
Acrimony
TylerPerrysAcrimonyTeaserPoster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Tyler Perry
Written byTyler Perry
Produced by
  • Mark E. Swinton
  • Will Areu
  • Ozzie Areu
  • Tyler Perry
Starring
CinematographyRichard J. Vialet
Edited byLarry Sexton
Music by Christopher Lennertz
Production
company
Distributed by Lionsgate [1]
Release date
  • March 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)
Running time
120 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million [3]
Box office$46.4 million [4]

Acrimony is a 2018 American psychological thriller film written, produced and directed by Tyler Perry. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Lyriq Bent, and Crystle Stewart. It follows a psychotic wife who stalks and nearly kills her ex husband when he becomes successful after she spent her whole life supporting him. Principal photography began in October 2016 in Pittsburgh. Acrimony was released in the United States by Lionsgate on March 30, 2018. [5] [6] It received generally negative reviews and grossed $46 million worldwide.

Contents

Plot

Melinda Moore bumps into engineering student Robert during college, goes into a rage and assaults him physically and verbally, revealing her abnormal tendencies. Later that day, he visits her dorm room to return papers that got mixed up in the previous altercation. On the day of her mother's funeral, Melinda and Robert have sex in his RV and start dating. Melinda eventually decides to buy him a new car. Despite not having asked for the car, he accepts it. When Robert does not call her for some time, Melinda decides to call him one night. Robert starts acting in an unusual way, so Melinda visits his RV and discovers him cheating on her with Diana Wells, another woman. Enraged, Melinda rams the RV with her car. She destroys Robert's car before passing out from injury and is rushed to the hospital for an emergency full hysterectomy, rendering her infertile. Melinda and Robert reconcile and marry, despite the objections of her sisters, June and Brenda. Brenda warns Melinda not to tell Robert about the amount of money their mother left her.

For eighteen years, Melinda supports them both, as Robert cannot find work because he is focused on developing his invention. Robert talks Melinda into mortgaging their house so he can build a prototype of a revolutionary self-charging battery he has been designing with hopes to sell to venture capitalist Prescott. Diana, now working as an assistant to Prescott, arranges for Robert to have a meeting with him. After finding Diana's wallet in Robert's truck, June and Brenda tell Melinda that he is cheating on her. Melinda's family runs a catering business and offers Robert a job, warning him that if they miss out on delivering to a client, they will lose their truck contract. En route to his delivery, Robert gets a call from Diana saying Prescott wants to reconsider his deal. This causes Robert to abandon his delivery job mid-route. Prescott offers $800,000 for the design, but Robert wants to license the technology to them instead and declines the offer. Melinda, furious at both Robert's declining and his interaction with Diana, files for divorce and moves in with Brenda. Robert moves into a homeless shelter, but Diana finds out and insists that he live with her.

Prescott later offers Robert a multi million-dollar deal while allowing him to keep the intellectual property, which he accepts. Robert visits Melinda at work, although she refuses to reconcile. Robert accepts her decision but, as an apology, gives her $10 million and buys back her home.

Regretting that she abandoned him, Melinda visits Robert in his new penthouse apartment and attempts to rekindle their relationship, but Diana appears and introduces herself as Robert's fiancée.

Furious, Melinda swears to destroy the couple. She sues them, claiming that the deal with Prescott happened before their divorce, but the case is dismissed. The couple file a countersuit against Melinda and obtain restraining orders. As Melinda's behavior worsens, even her family turns on her as they advise the couple to hire bodyguards and install security measures in their house. Melinda eventually chases the couple away. Melinda retaliates by visiting a bridal shop and destroying Diana's wedding gown with acid. She is caught and sentenced to court-mandated counseling, where she tells her therapist that Robert took advantage of her. Her therapist suggests that she may have borderline personality disorder. Melinda's mental state further deteriorates after learning Diana is pregnant. On Robert's wedding day, Melinda's family and friends are forced to prevent her from leaving her house and ruining the wedding.

Robert and Diana leave on their honeymoon cruise. Melinda sneaks onto the boat, shoots Robert, and makes the boat's crew jump overboard. Melinda demands that Diana give her wedding ring to Melinda. Robert then overpowers Melinda and pushes her in the water. Robert tells Diana to take the dinghy and rescue the crew so they can provide medical help to him. Melinda returns and attempts to kill Robert with an axe. In moving to avoid the axe, Robert accidentally pushes the anchor release button with his foot. Melinda becomes entangled by the anchor's chain, which pulls her into the ocean, where she drowns. Diana returns with the crew and comforts Robert.

Cast

Production

Filming took place around Pittsburgh and Atlanta in fall 2016. [7] [8] Tika Sumpter originally was cast as Diana Wells, but later left and Crystle Stewart took the role. [9]

Release

The film was released in the United States on March 30, 2018. [10] It was originally titled She's Living My Life. [11]

Reception

Box office

Acrimony has grossed $43.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $2.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $46.3 million. [4]

In the United States and Canada, Acrimony was released alongside God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness and Ready Player One , and was projected to gross $10–15 million from 2,006 theaters in its opening weekend. [12] It made $7.6 million on its first day, including $1 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $17.2 million, finishing second, behind Ready Player One, and besting both projections and the $10 million opening of Henson's Proud Mary two months earlier. [13] It fell 51.2% in its second weekend to $8.4 million, finishing fifth. [14] [15]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 18% based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 3.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Tyler Perry's Acrimony might be of interest to hardcore Tyler Perry fans, but all other viewers are advised to make time for another Fatal Attraction screening instead." [16] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 32 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally negative reviews". [17] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. [13]

Monica Castillo of RogerEbert.com gave the film a negative review, writing that "Taraji P. Henson deserves better." [18] Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times also gave the film a negative review, writing that "the moral of Acrimony seems to be: Leave a bad man, especially one who cheated on you before marriage and leeches off your financial resources — unless he has poured his life into the dream of inventing a self-recharging battery, in which case the bonds of matrimony are sacrosanct and no sacrifice is too great." He further wrote that the film itself was "endorsing the logic that keeps spouses Stockholm syndrome'd in bad marriages". [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Darling</i> (1965 film) 1965 British film by John Schlesinger

Darling is a 1965 British romantic drama film directed by John Schlesinger from a screenplay written by Frederic Raphael. It stars Julie Christie as Diana Scott, a young successful model and actress in Swinging London, toying with the affections of two older men, played by Dirk Bogarde and Laurence Harvey. The film was shot on location in London, Paris and Rome and at Shepperton Studios by cinematographer Kenneth Higgins, with a musical score composed by Sir John Dankworth.

<i>What Women Want</i> 2000 film by Nancy Meyers

What Women Want is a 2000 American romantic fantasy comedy film written by Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa, and Diane Drake, directed by Nancy Meyers, and starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Avery</span> American actress

Margaret Avery is an American actress. She began her career appearing on stage and later had starring roles in films including Cool Breeze (1972), Which Way Is Up? (1977), Scott Joplin (1977) which earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination, and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979). She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Shug Avery in the period drama film The Color Purple (1985).

<i>Diary of a Mad Black Woman</i> 2005 film directed by Darren Grant

Diary of a Mad Black Woman is a 2005 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Darren Grant and written by Tyler Perry. Inspired by the play of the same name, it marks Perry's feature film debut and is the first entry in the Madea film franchise. Starring Perry alongside Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, and Cicely Tyson, it tells the story of a woman who is thrown out of her house by her husband on their 18th wedding anniversary and subsequently moves in with her grandmother, and is the only film written, but not directed, by Perry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taraji P. Henson</span> American actress (born 1970)

Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress. She has received several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award and six Emmy Awards. In 2016 and 2024, Time named Henson one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

<i>Daddys Little Girls</i> 2007 American film

Daddy's Little Girls is a 2007 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Tyler Perry, produced by Perry and Reuben Cannon, and starring Gabrielle Union, Idris Elba, Louis Gossett Jr., and Tracee Ellis Ross. It tells the story of a lawyer who helps a mechanic in a custody battle against his mean-spirited ex-wife over who will get custody of their daughters.

Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman is a 2001 American stage play written, directed and produced by Tyler Perry. The production starred Tyler Perry as Daddy Charles & Madea and Marva King as Helen Simmons-McCarter. The live performance released on DVD and VHS was recorded live in Atlanta at the Atlanta Civic Center in May 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystle Stewart</span> American model and beauty pageant titleholder

Crystle Stewart Sebrechts is an American actress and beauty pageant titleholder. Stewart began her acting career in 2011, when she played real estate agent Leslie Morris on the OWN/TBS comedy-drama television series For Better or Worse until 2017. Shortly after, she appeared in the 2018 film Acrimony. She also won Miss Texas USA 2008 and Miss USA 2008, and represented the United States at Miss Universe 2008, where she reached in the placed Top 10.

<i>Meet the Browns</i> (film) 2008 American romance film

Meet the Browns is a 2008 American romantic comedy-drama film released by Lionsgate on March 21, 2008. The film was based on the play of the same name by Tyler Perry and is the third film in the Madea cinematic universe. It was written and directed by Tyler Perry with Ruben Cannon helping with the writing, and starring Angela Bassett, Rick Fox, Margaret Avery, Frankie Faison, Jenifer Lewis, Lance Gross, Sofía Vergara, Lamman Rucker, Tamela Mann, Tyler Perry, and introducing David Mann in his film debut as Leroy Brown. The film tells the story of a struggling single mother from Chicago who takes her children to Senoia, Georgia to attend her long-lost father's funeral and meets the relatives she didn't know she had. The film grossed $42 million.

<i>The Family That Preys</i> 2008 American film

The Family That Preys is a 2008 American comedy-drama film written, co-produced and directed by Tyler Perry. The screenplay focuses on two families, one wealthy and the other working class, whose lives are intertwined in both love and business.

<i>I Can Do Bad All by Myself</i> (film) 2009 American film

I Can Do Bad All by Myself is a 2009 American romantic musical comedy-drama film which was released on September 11, 2009. The film was directed, produced, and written by Tyler Perry, who also makes an appearance in the film as his signature character Madea. The rest of the cast consists of Taraji P. Henson, Adam Rodriguez, Brian White, Mary J. Blige, Gladys Knight, and Marvin L. Winans. Although the film and play share the same title, the film is not an adaptation of Perry's play of the same name; the two works have different storylines as this film tells the story of an alcoholic lounge singer who is persuaded to take the custody of her niece and nephews by Madea after she catches them breaking into her house and their grandmother has gone missing. Both are named for a lyric in the Changing Faces song "G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T.". It is the fifth film in the Madea franchise.

<i>Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor</i> 2013 US romance drama film by Tyler Perry

Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor is a 2013 American romantic drama film produced, written, and directed by Tyler Perry. The film is adapted from Perry's play The Marriage Counselor, with several changes. It was released on March 29, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajiona Alexus</span> American actress (born 1996)

Ajiona Alexus Brown is an American actress and singer. She began her career starring in the TV One sitcom The Rickey Smiley Show (2012–2014), and later played Teenage Cookie Lyon in the Fox musical drama series, Empire (2016–2019). She starred in the Netflix teen drama series, 13 Reasons Why (2017–2018), the Hulu supernatural thriller, Light as a Feather (2018–2019), and the starz crime drama, BMF (2021). Alexus also starred in films Something Like Summer (2017), Acrimony (2018),Breaking In (2018), Mary J. Blige's Real Love and Strength of a Woman (2023)

<i>Boo 2! A Madea Halloween</i> 2017 film by Tyler Perry

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween is a 2017 American comedy horror film written, produced, directed by and starring Tyler Perry and also starring Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely, Yousef Erakat, Diamond White, Lexy Panterra, Andre Hall, Brock O'Hurn, and Tito Ortiz. It is the tenth film in the Madea cinematic universe, the sequel to Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016), and the third Madea film not adapted from a stage play as it tells the story of Madea going to retrieve a now 18-year-old Tiffany from a lake that is said to be stalked by a serial killer. The film was released by Lionsgate on October 20, 2017, and grossed $48 million.

Amirah Charline Vann is an American actress and singer. She began her career on the Off-Broadway stage before starring in the WGN America period drama series, Underground (2016–2017), for which she received NAACP Image Award nomination. She later starred as attorney Tegan Price in the ABC legal thriller series, How to Get Away with Murder (2017–2020). In 2022, Vann starred in the period romantic drama film, A Jazzman's Blues.

<i>Proud Mary</i> (film) 2018 American action thriller film by Babak Najafi

Proud Mary is a 2018 American action thriller film directed by Babak Najafi, from a screenplay written by John S. Newman, Christian Swegal, and Steve Antin. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Jahi Di'Allo Winston, Billy Brown, and Danny Glover. It follows an assassin who must look after a young teenaged boy after a hit job goes wrong.

<i>Nobodys Fool</i> (2018 film) 2018 American film

Nobody's Fool is a 2018 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Tyler Perry. It stars Tiffany Haddish, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, Mehcad Brooks, Amber Riley and Whoopi Goldberg, and follows a recently paroled woman who tries to help her sister with a man who may be catfishing her. The film marks Tyler Perry's first R-rated comedy, as well as his first film not to be distributed by Lionsgate.

<i>What Men Want</i> 2019 American film by Adam Shankman

What Men Want is a 2019 American romantic comedy film directed by Adam Shankman and starring Taraji P. Henson, Aldis Hodge, Josh Brener, Erykah Badu, Richard Roundtree and Tracy Morgan. The film is a loose remake of the 2000 film What Women Want. The plot follows a woman who – after drinking a potent concoction given by a shaman – gains the ability to hear men's inner thoughts. The screenplay was written by Jas Waters and Tina Gordon Chism.

Ptosha Storey is an American actress and stage director, known for her role as Nancy Hallsen in the BET prime time soap opera, The Oval.

<i>The Color Purple</i> (2023 film) 2023 film by Blitz Bazawule

The Color Purple is a 2023 American musical period drama film directed by Blitz Bazawule, with screenplay by Marcus Gardley based on the stage musical of the same name - which, in turn, is based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It is the second film adaptation of the novel, following the 1985 film directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Spielberg and Quincy Jones. Spielberg and Jones return as producers for the 2023 film, along with its Broadway producers Scott Sanders and Oprah Winfrey, the latter of whom also starred in the 1985 film.

References

  1. ↑ "Tyler Perry's Acrimony". Lionsgate . Lions Gate Entertainment. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Tyler Perry's Acrimony". AMC Theatres . Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  3. ↑ Fuster, Jeremy (March 27, 2018). "Can 'Ready Player One' Save Box Office From Post-'Black Panther' Slump?". TheWrap . Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Tyler Perry's Acrimony (2018)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  5. ↑ Gallagher, Brian (October 19, 2017). "Tyler Perry's Acrimony Trailer Sends Taraji P. Henson Into a Rampage". MovieWeb . Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Upcoming Movies in Theaters and on DVD". Box Office Mojo . October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Trailer debuts for Pittsburgh-shot Tyler Perry movie 'Acrimony'". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . Trib Total Media. October 23, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  8. ↑ Project Casting (October 3, 2016). "Tyler Perry's New Movie 'Acrimony' Open Casting Call". Projectcasting.com. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Tyler Perry filming in the Pittsburgh area". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  10. ↑ "Tyler Perry's Acrimony". Acrimony.movie. Lions Gate Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Two Tyler Perry Movies Get 2018 Release Dates". Variety . Penske Business Media. June 22, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  12. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Tartaglione, Nancy (March 27, 2018). "Steven Spielberg's 'Ready Player One' To Get Its Game On With $140M+ Global Start". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  13. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 1, 2018). "Audiences Plug Into 'Ready Player One': Steven Spielberg Movie Looking At $53M+ 4-Day Score". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  14. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 8, 2018). "'A Quiet Place' Screams To $50M+ Opening; 'Blockers' Breaks Through To $21M+ – Early Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Weekend Box Office: April 6-8, 2018". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Acrimony (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Tyler Perry's Acrimony Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  18. ↑ Castillo, Monica (March 30, 2018). "Acrimony". RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  19. ↑ Kinigsberg, Ben (30 March 2018). "Her Marriage Is Wobbly, And So Is the Script". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.