Tyler Perry goes race-neutral

“With great power comes great responsibility.”

Maybe that’s a lesson Tyler Perry is finally learning. He has been criticized throughout the years for perpetuating negative black stereotypes, even though he has the money and media influence to break them.

In his latest movie, “Good Deeds,” he has created a film that is socially important and practically race-neutral.

The main characters are all minorities, but the story wouldn’t change much if they weren’t. At my screening, there wasn’t a question of whether the audience was laughing with or at the black community, as there was with his Madea series.

The storyline and acting were both on point, and Perry himself delivered a powerful performance as Wesley Deeds, a privileged heir to a great company and legacy. The characters are multi-dimensional with inner and outer struggles the audience can relate to regardless of race or class.

It likely won’t be nominated for an Oscar, but it is an important film that makes a good attempt at being post-racial. With more money and creative control, perhaps Perry is finally able to make the types of films he wanted to make all along.