Tyler Perry's Straw - Movie Notes
- Margaret Aligbe
- 30 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Tyler Perry's new "Straw" movie on Netflix, featuring Taraji P. Henson and Sherri Shepherd, is not just about the pains of Black women or Tyler Perry refusing to give "Black women a happy ending" with his scripts. It is a situation millions around the world can relate to. Taraji P. interpreted this character with such precision, and she was deep into those emotions. A brilliant movie.
How much more can a person take? What's the last straw? When you can't take anything anymore, what else can you do?
The movie details the frustration of being neglected and forgotten in a society that you work so hard to support. Knowing you are on your own with your struggles and people "suddenly showing up in solidarity" after she escalated her predicament. Yet, there are people around us we neglect. Why does it have to get to the extreme before they get any form of support?
Being overwhelmed by not being seen and locked inside perpetual suffering despite holding down multiple jobs because she is doing everything within her power, it was still never enough. A cycle operating in a system determined to keep you where you are at.
People were quick to assume that Janiyah Wiltkinson was lazy and blamed her from some kind of moral high ground-—remember the old man in the bank who was quick to play down her struggles because he was a veteran? The lack of compassion was so loud - besides her friend at the store and the old man in the wheelchair, she still gave something despite having nothing. A little compassion towards people would go a long way. We all saw how Det. Kay Raymond's approach made a world of difference.Â
Her boss, the landlady, the people at the bank, the police officer who pushed her off the road with threats because of his influence, the lady who wrote tickets quickly with no questions, the people at her daughter's school (whether they were real or she was imagining things)...she was basically trapped in a space with near to zero compassion. She was already down, and folks were still hitting her on the floor.
Then there is the mental health epidemic....people are going through things in their private lives. Folks all over the world are scrapping with all the energy and resources just to get by.