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The Family That Preys (2008)

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Average Rating: 5.8/10
Reviews Counted: 41
Fresh: 21 | Rotten: 20

Tyler Perry's The Family that Preys treads the filmmaker's established terrain of family loyalty and moral uprightness, though the occasionally predictable plot slides forward, aided by an excess of soapy melodrama.

Average Rating: 6/10
Critic Reviews: 11
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 4

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Movie Info

Alfre Woodard and Kathy Bates star in writer/director Tyler Perry's family drama about an upper-crust family and their working-class counterparts, who discover that scandal knows no social boundaries. Charlotte Cartwright (Bates) and Alice Pratt (Woodard) may be from different sides of the tracks, yet over the years they've managed to nurture a strong and healthy friendship. That friendship is put to the ultimate test, however, when their adult children begin to act out in ways that neither

PG-13, 1 hr. 51 min.

Drama, Comedy

Directed By: Tyler Perry

Written By: Tyler Perry

In Theaters: Sep 12, 2008 Wide

On DVD: Jan 13, 2008

Box Office:$37.0M

Lionsgate

The Family that Preys shows grand advances in the filmmaking education of playwright-turned-filmmaker Tyler Perry. It's also his soapiest film yet, an overwrought melodrama of sibling rivalry, infidelity, family business power plays and terminal illness.

September 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel

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Roger Moore

Orlando Sentinel

Top Critic

By far the best thing about the enterprise is Woodard. If she's not in this thing, I think it goes kaput.

September 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Washington Post

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Neely Tucker

Washington Post

Top Critic

The film takes off when Woodard's and Bates' characters go on a Thelma & Louise-style road trip.

September 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times

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Bob Baker

Los Angeles Times

Top Critic

The movie plays almost exactly like four daily soap episodes stitched together.

September 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Boston Globe

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

Top Critic

As usual, the villains are very bad, and the good guys are very noble -- until they get mad and clock their wives.

September 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly

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Gregory Kirschling

Entertainment Weekly

Top Critic

It's hard to resist the movie's mixture of soap opera, humor and heart-filled homilies.

September 15, 2008 Comment

Stephen Farber

Hollywood Reporter

Top Critic

Whatever its other sins, the movie cannot be accused of wanting for ambition or scope.

February 9, 2012 Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy

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Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

Exactly the kind of preachy, pandering, tone-shifting, gospel-laced soap opera that [Perry has] served up time and time again to his dedicated audience.

December 17, 2009 Full Review Source: Cinematical

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William Goss

Cinematical

Tyler Perry's trademark sitcomish sermonizing has lightened up a bit here to explore hot topic race and class issues, but his 'family values is the best revenge' anthem, is awash as usual in sudsy mayhem.

January 11, 2009 Full Review Source: NewsBlaze

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Prairie Miller

NewsBlaze

A pat cautionary tale which manages to push the right emotional buttons every time. That's the magic of the Tyler Perry genre.

January 10, 2009 Full Review Source: NewsBlaze

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Kam Williams

NewsBlaze

I appreciate what Perry is trying to do with his films, and it's nice to see an urban film that isn't a "Gangsta Picture", but he needs to tone down the soap opera qualities and let his stories unfold naturally.

October 8, 2008 Full Review Source: Sin Magazine

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Austin Kennedy

Sin Magazine

(Tyler) Perry, a cinematic one-man band who wrote the script, produces, directs and plays the role of a decent husband and construction worker, is still growing as a filmmaker.

September 29, 2008 Comment

Larry Ratliff

San Antonio Express-News Source: San Antonio Express-News

To call The Family That Preys a transitional effort would be accurate and fair

September 25, 2008 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com

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Bill Gibron

Filmcritic.com

It has Tyler Perry's trademark trio: sincerity, spirituality, and story. And if he passes on that other "s" -- subtlety -- that's all right.

September 19, 2008 Full Review Source: Beliefnet

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Nell Minow

Beliefnet

This snail-paced film might as well take place in the 1950s, since it seems to have been inspired by one those Hollywood melodramas in which one company employs the entire town, and the only places free of corruption are the church and the local diner.

September 18, 2008 Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly

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Chuck Wilson

L.A. Weekly

A simple tale of good versus evil that also delivers solid acting and an enjoyable script

September 18, 2008 Full Review Source: jackiekcooper.com

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Jackie K. Cooper

jackiekcooper.com Source: jackiekcooper.com

The closest Perry has come to making something that looks like it belongs on a movie screen and not on a TV set or on the wall of a church basement.

September 17, 2008 Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

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Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Well, GOod for Ty,ler Perry. He has invented his own genre of movie.

September 16, 2008 Full Review | Comment

Linda Cook

Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

Perry may not be dealing with race issues, but he still writes everything in black-and-white.

September 15, 2008 Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com

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Eric D. Snider

EricDSnider.com

When he's not distracted trying to accessorize dresses, Tyler Perry can write a decent enough soap opera.

September 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Jam! Movies

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Jim Slotek

Jam! Movies

If all Tyler Perry did with The Family That Preys was give Alfre Woodard a good part, that would be enough to make the movie worth seeing. But he does more.

September 15, 2008 Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press

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Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)

St. Paul Pioneer Press

While it's wonderful to see actresses as shamefully underemployed as Woodard and Bates on the big screen, even they can't make sense of [these] incoherent characters.

September 15, 2008 Full Review Source: AV Club

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Sam Adams

AV Club

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Family That Preys

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Cast: Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Sanaa Lathan, Taraji P. Henson, Cole Hauser, Rockmond Dunbar, Kadee Strickland, Tyler Perry, Robin Givens, Kaira Whitehead, Damien Leake Director: Tyler Perry Summary: Tyler Perry writes, directs and co-stars in this poignant dramedy centered on a pair of friends -- wealthy

September 28, 2008

♥˩ƳИИ ƜѲѲƉƧ♥

Super Reviewer

Put Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard in a movie together and how can you go wrong?? Can't in my opinion. This is a really good drama. Tyler Perry really seems to have a gift in creating entertaining and memorable movies. This is one of them.

October 14, 2010

Cynthia S.

Super Reviewer

The Family That Preys Quotes

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1. Charlotte Cartwright: My family has been known to prey on the weak.
– Submitted by Alyssa G (11 months ago)
1. Pam: I am tired of her looking down her nose at us... like we didn't live in the same house or the same neighborhood!
2. Andrea: I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now.
3. Alice Pratt: This is your sister! When are you two going to act like it?
– Submitted by Alyssa G (11 months ago)
1. Alice Pratt: I've never seen you drive! Where is Morgan Freeman?
– Submitted by Alyssa G (11 months ago)
1. Andrea: You better watch your step.
2. Abby: It is sisters like you that give us all a bad name.
– Submitted by Alyssa G (11 months ago)
1. Charlotte Cartwright: She's seen me through two divorces.
2. Alice Pratt: Three.
3. Charlotte Cartwright: Three?
4. Alice Pratt: Three.
5. Charlotte Cartwright: Oh right, I try to forget that one.
– Submitted by Alyssa G (11 months ago)

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