Aahana Swrup
‘Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair’ is the third film in the Lifetime trilogy that revolves around the love and life of Kendra and Ben. After previous installations dealt with their fleeting college romance and reconnection in their adult lives, this movie finds the pair as they build a family together. Yet, even though their love holds true, both individuals find their respective baggage weighing down their relationship in different ways. Consequently, as the couple propels forward toward a marriage, Ben’s secrets over his brother’s issues and Kendra’s complications with fertility distress their relationship in unpredictable ways.
As a result, it’s up to the pair and their families to work through their complications and secure their future. This Troy Scott directorial heavily deals with grounded themes of mental health, marital complications, and family drama that add a newfound realism to Kendra and Ben’s love story. However, is there any connection between these characters, their circumstances, and reality?
Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair is Based on a 2001 Hit Song
‘Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair’ is a part of Lifetime’s collaboration with the Grammy-winning singer/Emmy-winning actress Mary J. Blige. As a part of this partnership, the artist produced multiple movies based on some of her greatest hits. This third installation is inspired by the track ‘Family Affair’ from Blige’s fifth album ‘No More Drama.’ The 2001 single is one of the most successful records from the singer-songwriter’s career, marking her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single. In fact, as the story goes, this song played a huge part in making Blige realize the level of her fame after she heard it playing on the country radio once.
Consequently, ‘Family Affair’ is evidently a notable part of Blige’s discography, making its resonance in Kendra and Ben’s story all the more valuable. Despite their connection to the artist’s work—which is often biographical to her life—these films aren’t directly based on real life. Instead, they equip Blige’s music as the base inspiration for themes while the storytelling itself takes a largely fictitious route. As a result, even though Kendra and Ben’s on-screen journey has origins in the eponymous song, its connections to Blige’s or any other specific individual’s real life remain loose. Still, the trajectory of the story has parallels to the record.
‘Family Affair’ is a song about leaving one’s worries and complexities behind to join in on a celebration of life. Similarly, the film finds its central narrative building toward a magical wedding for Kendra and Ben. However, before arriving at that point in their lives, the pair must deal with their respective issues as a unit to strengthen their connection and ability to rely on each other. It highlights the need for joy that Blige’s work underlines while also bringing focus to the familial matters that are the basis of the latter. In that way, this fictional tale maintains roots in Blige’s life, even as it sports no biographical connections to it.
Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair Explores Realistic Marital Issues
‘Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair’ creates a unique space for itself through its thematic subject as it tackles the complications of life after one has found one true love. Consequently, it inherently shares a connection with the second installation in the trilogy, ‘Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman,’ which also delves into the nuances of marriage. Nonetheless, where that film dealt with issues like infidelity—something Blige also has unfortunately experienced in her own first marriage—this story explores a different side of marriage. Despite the complications in Kendra and Ben’s lives, their relationship is far from toxic. Instead, it’s a genuine connection that has the potential to go all the way.
Therefore, the issues that arise in their partnership and upcoming marriage are hurdles to overcome rather than fatalistic obstacles. The depiction of these kinds of martial troubles adds a layer of authenticity to the story. The lead actor, Da’Vinchi, who plays the role of Ben, best put it in his conversation with PIX11 News. “This (‘Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair’) is the real like (the) part in movies, like (you know), the happily ever after they (other movies in the genre) never show that,” said the actor. Thus, as screenwriter Rachel Ingram builds the original story from Blige’s work, her attention to the intrinsic complexities of life significantly informs Kendra and Ben’s realistic depiction.
Read More: Mary J. Blige’s Real Love: Review and Ending, Explained
