For Colored Girls

Writer/director Tyler Perry puts his "Madea" dress in the closet and tackles true drama in this adaptation of Ntozake Shange's Tony-nominated play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf." Taking full advantage of a breathtaking cast that includes Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie Newton and Phylicia Rashad, Perry explores the intersecting lives of nine African-American women as they struggle with love, loss and anger in fits of pure poetry.

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1. That's not gonna fit on the marquee... The original name of the stage play from which the film is adapted is "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf," written by Ntozake Shange.
2. The title was shortened to the more movie-poster-friendly For Colored Girls in September 2010.
3. The film adaptation was written, produced and directed by Tyler Perry (sorry, Madea fans - your favorite butt-kickin' granny does not make an appearance).
4. This was the debut project of 34^th Street Films, a production arm of Tyler Perry Studios intended to highlight films written and/or directed by outside talent.
5. Another first for Tyler Perry: this is the first of his films to earn an R rating (scandalous!).
6. The movie went through a slight game of musical chairs in terms of scheduling: it was intended to be released in 2010, then got bumped to January 2011, and then re-scheduled once more to November 2010, as Tyler Perry felt its serious nature fit better during the fall movie season.
7. In the original play, the characters were nameless - instead being referred to by the color of their costumes. Although Perry names the characters in his film, the color themes still play a significant role.
8. The play was originally performed in California in 1975, and was also staged on-and-off Broadway. It also made its way into an American Playhouse adaptation for TV in 1982.
9. Mariah Carey had to drop out of the film when she discovered she was pregnant with twins. Her role went to Thandie Newton instead.
10. Actress Jurnee Smollett also had to leave the film due to commitments to her TV show Friday Night Lights; Tessa Thompson took over the role of Nyla.