Last year when Ms. Washington wasn’t shooting Scandal she was filming for her upcoming role in the film PEEPLES.

Sparks fly when Wade Walker (Craig Robinson) crashes the preppy Peeples annual reunion in the Hamptons to ask for their precious daughter Grace’s (Kerry Washington) hand in marriage. Wade might be a fish-out-of-water among this seemingly perfect East Coast clan, but he’s not about to let himself flounder. Instead, in a wild weekend of fun, dysfunction and hilarious surprises, Wade is about to discover there’s room for all kinds of Peeples in this family, no matter their differences. Writer and first-time director Tina Gordon Chism (writer of DRUMLINE) joins forces with Tyler Perry to present a laugh-out-loud look at the family ties that freak us out . . . but bind us together with love.

Pro’s:

1. The movie stars Kerry Washington and a host of other talented black actors (S. Epatha Merkerson and David Alan Grier play Mrs. and Mr. Peeples, respectively).

2. PEEPLES is the directorial debut of a talented black women who has already written several screenplays.

Cons:

1. Two words: Tyler Perry. That man scares me, and any time I see his name associated with a venture I feel like a question mark lights up in my mind.

From looking at the trailer I can tell that a standoff between upper-middle class black people and working class black people is going to be the main point of contention between the characters–in other words, this is the usual plot developed in a flick produced by Perry. The “look who’s coming to dinner” theme is a well-worn story line, but I’m still excited to see what writer/director Ms. Chism does to keep the story fresh and funny.

PEEPLES opens in theaters everywhere May 10th, 2013.

Do you plan on seeing the movie?
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Jamila Akil is a Senior Editor at Beyond Black and White. Follow her on Twitter @jamilaakil