While you are the Senior Pastor of The Potter's House, you are also a very
successful New York Times best selling author, with a mass appeal.  Is this
movie strictly a faith based film?

Not Easily Broken is about so much more than faith.  It is about life, love and
the desperate pursuit of happiness that we all have and how we have to work at being happy.  I think movie goers will find the movie incredibly entertaining
and will walk away knowing they got their money's worth.


Much has been written about the struggle in getting movies made about people of
color that portray a more well rounded perspective of our lives than the usual
fare, what are your thoughts on the frustration that people of color have faced
in getting their story to the big screen and what struggles did you face in
getting this movie made?

African Americans complain about how we are portrayed in20Hollywood.  The actors complain
about not having opportunities at good roles.I chose to light a candle rather than to scream
at the darkness. I feel that we have to make the kind of movie that we want to see.  My first
attempt was a movie that didn't have the backing of a major Hollywood company but still got enough
attention to draw Sony into a dialog about telling other stories I had written.
This movie is also a good sign that Hollywood is taking another look at the
African American market and starting to realize that we have more than drug
deals and gang wars.  They are looking at our faith, our families and the
resilience with which we have survived.  


Reverend, this is the second film adapted from one of your best-selling books.
Tell me why you decided to make Not Easily Broken into a movie.


This is an entertaining movie filled with laughter, love and challenge.  It
shows Black love in a realistic way that is refreshingly positive and yet
realistic.  I decided to make Not Easily Broken into a movie because I wanted to
share a story of love from a man's perspective.  Because so many Black women of
all ages that we see in counseling seem to complain about their men not being
verbal about their feelings.  They say that we20are silent about most emotions
and that they find men hard to read.  I see this as an opportunity to show more
of how many men feel and think about life and love.  I've counseled countless
men who were grieving over failed relationships, and I wanted to relay the
message that men really do want their relationships to work. Through the move,
this message is conveyed in a compelling and romantic and often humorous story.



The film deals with the complexities of marriage.  What lessons do you hope
audiences in general and married couples in particular will take from the film?
I want audiences to realize that LOVE is an intimate connection of the mind,
body and spirit, and that every decision that each partner makes affects them
BOTH and the condition of their RELATIONSHIP.   I wanted to show that even the best relationships' hit rocky places and that love and happiness works! At the end of the day true happiness requires a meeting of the mind and a willingness to change.  Without faith it is even more difficult to get through the tough places and make the changes that two people become truly one unit.  


Can you share with us your perspectives on how to build a strong marriage when adversities like what the Johnson's endured occur? Are there scriptures that we can turn to for answers?
Ecclesiastes 4:12: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. This scripture inspired the movie and it shows that we must go from thinking monologue to dialogue and ultimately a trialogue with God being that third person that completes the threefold cord. It also shows how important it is to grow into agreement that agreement doesn't always come without struggle.


What is your advice to couples who are struggling to keep their marriage
together?
My advice to them is the same advice that has kept me and my wife, Serita, together for more than 25 years. I encourage people to learn each others communication methods and respect each other's boundaries and needs.  As our unions evolve, we evolve, and we must be willing to forgive, compromise and treat each other with respect.  Many couples suffer from giving each other what the companion used to need, updates are important because people do change in terms of felt needs.    While I deeply value the institution of marriage, I do not recommend that a person remains blindly committed a relationship that is detrimental to one's safety. Unfortunately, in some cases, divorce is the only solution.  


Tell me about the performances. How was it working with Morris Chestnut and
Taraji Henson?
Morris Chestnut and Taraji Henson are true professionals.  I enjoyed working
with both of them. They did a great job at brining the characters to life. Through Morris Chestnut, who plays Dave, and Taraji Henson, who plays Clarisse, you feel the range of emotions that married couples sometimes encounter - pain and passion, love and lament. Their realistic performances are engaging.   It is amazing how the movie is a mixture of funny moments, romantic moments and intensely engaging.  The cast delivered on a wide array of feelings in a very believable way.  I have never seen Jennifer Lewis deliver a more passionate and powerful role as the mother of Clarisse.  

Were you on the set at all?
Yes I was.   My wife was there the entire time and I was there for a part of it.  


If so, did you coach anyone?
No I did not. However Bill Duke - our outstanding director - and I spent quite a
bit of time discussing and debating how certain characters were meant to be
portrayed.  He was great to work with and brought so much to the movie it was
incredible.  


Do you appear in the film? If so, what character do you play?
Both my wife and I appear in the movie. We both play business tycoons who meet with Dave (Morris Chestnut)
and Clarisse (Taraji Henson) ov er dinner to discuss land development projects. 

Are there plans to adapt any of your other books into films?
Currently Sony has expressed a committed interest in doing subsequent films and we are exploring various possibilities for future productions.