For all his life, wealthy businessman Wesley Deeds has done what's expected of him and has settled into a predictable routine. His scripted life begins to change, however, when he meets Lindsey Wakefield, a struggling single mother who works as a night janitor for his corporation and has just been evicted. He offers to help Lindsey get back on her feet and, though he's already engaged, romantic sparks begin to fly. Suddenly, he finds himself torn between what is expected of him and what he really wants.
Acting
Thandiwe Newton elevates every scene she's in—pure gravitas.
Writing
Tyler Perry's most restrained script; actual subtlety detected.
Production
San Francisco locations make wealth aspirational, not cartoonish.
Director
Tyler Perry
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Tyler Perry's first R-rated film, though he later re-edited it to PG-13 for wider appeal.
Perry deliberately cast Thandiwe Newton against type after her prestige TV run, wanting audiences to see her warmth, not just intensity.
US
