You can bet that the major studios have been looking at the movie career of multimedia mogul Tyler Perry very closely. Particularly those big box office numbers. For the last few years Perry has become a major Hollywood power player with his low budget, big grossing films. Most of these have been adaptations of his stage productions that tour the country playing for a couple of performances to very enthusiastic, mostly black audiences. Many are little morality dramas spiced up with comedy (often with Perry himself in drag as that force of nature Madea-very broad comedy) and religious lessons (with an occasional hymn or song). Now the big studios hope to tap into that market with a mix of Perry, and a dash of TV’s “American Idol” and “Glee” with a pinch or two of FOOTLOOSE. The end result is a cinematic stew called JOYFUL NOISE, which might tickle the taste buds of many moviegoers. Or not.
When the cameras dolly (wait for it!) down the streets of sleepy Pacashau, Georgia we see the results of the economic down turn with many of the main street stores boarded up and plastered with ” Going Out of Business ” signs. But things are hoppin’ at the Pacashau Divinity Church with the singin’ and testifyin’ rainbow-hued choir (no racial tensions in this peach-flavored Brigadoon) led by Bernard Sparrow (Kris Kristofferson). But before the hymn is finished (hey, before the last of the opening credits) Sparrow has taken wing. The solemn, sometimes stuffy pastor (Courtney B. Vance) passes over widow G.G. Sparrow ( Dolly Parton ) for the position of choir director and appoints Vi Rose (Queen Latifah), the first of several conflicts between the two earth mothers (kind of like Stallone and Snipes facing off in DEMOLITION MAN). Vi Rose is a hardworkin’ mom and nurse (Dad has re-upped at a military base far,far away) trying to raise two kids: her rebellious sixteen year old daughter Olivia (Keke Palmer), who’s the choir’s big voiced MVP, and her kid brother Walter (Dexter Darden), whose Asperger’s syndrome compels him to rattle off music history one-hit-wonder trivia. As if things weren’t complicated enough, G.G.’s teenage grandson Randy (Jeremy Jordan) arrives in town after his mom kicked him out of his NYC home. He’s gonna’ shake things up and make em’ kick off their Sunday shoes (Oops. Well, it does seem that he stumbled on to this set right from the FOOTLOOSE remake auditions). Randy takes an immediate interest in the choir especially Olivia (Conflict #2!) . And before you can say “Conflict #3,” Randy (and G.G.) are pushing Vi Rose to move away from the “traditional” spirituals and get down with gospel versions of pop tunes. I mean that’s the only way they’re gonna’ make it past those pesky regionals (aren’t those “Glee” kids always worked up about them?) and head on to the national finals (cue another TV bit from “American Idol” – “Welcome to Hollywood!”). I mean the poor, out-of-work folks back in Pacashau are a countin’ on them!
The many diverse elements in this film seem to bump, and often crash, into each other making for a sloppy, disjointed wreck of a film. At times it did seem like the first season of a new musical “dramedy” TV show called “The Church Choir” all mashed up into two long hours. Like episodic TV, besides the main leads we get the wacky choir second-stringers (one repeats everything, another believes her lovin’ is fatal- a literal killer “booty”, there’s a break-dancin’ good ole’ boy, and an Asian who talks like Jethro Bodine- it’s pure comedy gold!) The stars do their best, but are hampered by the cliche’ ridden script. It seems as though Latifah’s Vi Rose is delivering sermons to other characters rather than conversing with them. She’s constantly ‘ speech-ifying’. Dolly’s still playing the sweet, feisty, down-home, trashy-dressin’ gal, but is saddled with lots of tired corn-pone idioms and adages. I couldn’t help, but be distracted and saddened by her appearance, which is referenced a few times in the dialogue (Dolly’s G.G. says, “God didn’t make plastic surgeons to starve!”). It’s a shame that actors (male and female) don’t allow themselves to age gracefully (and have a mobile face instead of a plastic kabuki-like mask). This film is the second to explore Asperger’s in the past few weeks (after EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE), but here it seems to be more of a plot device to bring the two young love birds together. Most of the time Walter wears shades (resembling Jamie Foxx in RAY) and is able to interact socially when the script needs him to do so. His confrontation with Vi Rose questioning God is, at the least, awkward (He cries, “I don’t wanna’ be like this!” Really?). The scenes at the national finals are laughingly absurd. Sure the stage crew could completely improvise and fellow the performers! No sweat! The popularity of gospel music is deserving of a great fiction feature film since there’s been a number of great documentaries (like 1982’s SAY AMEN, SOMEBODY). Let’s hope Hollywood will produce one soon. In the meantime file this under films you can give to Grammy for her new DVD player.
Overall Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars
