STRΛW: A Therapist’s Reflection on Tyler Perry’s Most Human Story Yet

by G. “GiGi” McKinney, LCSW

**Spoiler Alert**

Read only after watching *Straw*. This reflection contains major plot revelations.

As a Therapist: The Unexpected Impact

As a therapist, watching *Straw* was both heartbreaking and affirming. Affirming because Tyler Perry dared to tell a story rarely handled with this much vulnerability. And heartbreaking because it’s far too familiar—clinically, culturally, and personally.

I’ll admit: I didn’t come to this film as an entirely neutral viewer. Like many, I’ve carried the criticism that Perry’s stories often lean toward trauma spectacle or reinforce negative stereotypes about Black life. But that skepticism almost blinded me from seeing the truth he was trying to show: the emotional and psychological collapse of a woman who simply could not carry one more thing.

The Setup: Not Just Another Struggling Black Mother

Taraji P. Henson’s character isn’t just a single mother working two jobs. She’s a woman living in a state of emotional triage. Her daughter is chronically ill, her housing is inadequate, she can’t afford heat, and her only daily thought is survival. There is no time to be soft. No space to be broken. No invitation to breathe.

This is what chronic trauma looks like: a life where your nervous system never gets to reset.

When the Mind Shatters to Protect Itself

When her daughter dies, she doesn’t ‘snap’. What we witness is a psychotic break. From a psychological perspective, it makes absolute sense. Her brain does something miraculous: it refuses to accept reality in order to protect itself. The hallucinations, the delusions—this wasn’t just denial. It was her mind’s way of saying:’ If I fully absorb this truth right now, I will not survive it.’

Every Act Was a Signal of Her Sanity and Her Break

Even in the midst of her unraveling, there were signs of her character:

- She didn’t steal money.

- She gave to a neighbor.

- She didn’t retaliate when attacked.

- She still looked out for others.

These moments show us that her break was not moral, but mental. She was trying to function through unimaginable pain.

Perry’s Deeper Message: Psychosis, Codependency, and Survival

Tyler Perry isn’t just telling trauma stories—he’s showing us what emotional collapse looks like. In *Divorce in the Black*, he illustrates the damage of narcissistic parenting and codependent marriage. In *Straw*, he paints the portrait of a woman crushed by responsibility, grief, and the absence of care.

These women were never given space to ask: ‘What about me?’

This Is More Than a Movie—It’s a Mirror

Perry is showing us what unaddressed, unsupported, and misunderstood trauma does to Black women—especially when society only values them as caregivers and martyrs.

When they can’t give anymore, they’re labeled ‘crazy.’ But what if they’re just *human*?

*Straw* isn’t just a story. It’s a signal. It’s a mirror. And it’s a cry for understanding.