'Not Easily Broken' hits the big screen

Guys’ side: Morris Chestnut, center left, Taraji P. Henson, center, and T.D. Jakes appear in “Not Easily Broken,” a relationship drama from a male perspective. (Courtesy Photo)

Thomas Dexter, aka “T.D.” Jakes, is a preacher at a 30,000-member nondenominational church in Dallas, a successful businessman, a broadcaster and a best-selling author. He adds movie producer to his resume with “Not Easily Broken,” which opens Friday. The film, a drama about love, family, tragedy and faith, is adapted from Jakes’ book of the same name.

Q: What made you decide to do a movie about a relationship from a male perspective?

A: We did it precisely because so many stories aren’t told from a male perspective. …. Some people are calling the movie a male version of “Waiting to Exhale.” I don’t know about that. I do know that it really touches on issues that are important to men involved in relationships. And I think the movie may surprise some women to see that there are certain aspects in a relationship that men value strongly and can get emotional about too. Men have been trained not to show their emotions.

Q: Was Morris Chestnut your first choice for the lead role?

A: Most definitely. I met Morris over dinner in New York where he was doing a stage play. And as we started talking he brought some fresh perspectives and ideas to what we were proposing. I felt he was exactly the type of character we were looking for. Aside from that, he is an extremely talented actor.

Q: You’ve taken some steps on your own to market and promote the movie. What have you done and who have you reached out to?

A: “Not Easily Broken” has the potential to reach a broad range of people. We’ve already exposed the movie to the Deltas (Delta Sigma Theta sorority), 100 Black Men Chapter, barbershops and hairdressers, and, of course, the church. We’ve also marketed it through mainstream ways though too. And there’s obviously a reason for all this. Opening weekend for movies is important. Hollywood execs open the paper on Monday morning to see how well a movie has done. So we don’t always get a second chance to make a first impression.

Q: What is the overall message of the movie?

A: The message is that you take what life gives you and you move forward with it. For the characters in the movie, Dave (Morris Chestnut) and Clarice (Taraji Henson), they find that the faith element is what holds their life together.