This article contains major spoilers for Tyler Perry’sStraw, which is currently available to watch on Netflix.Strawis Tyler Perry’s latest movie, and it is one of the most intense films he has ever made. Starring Taraji P. Henson as a working-class mother named Janiyah, the film sees its protagonist do everything she can to protect her young, sick daughter, including taking things to a place so extreme that she may not be able to recover.Strawis getting mixed reviewsfrom critics, and it has a “rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes, but it is generally well-liked among audiences. The filmcontinues to succeed on the Netflix chartseven a couple of weeks after its release.
The movie finds Janiyah at her absolute breaking point. Perry has spoken about how this, while not based on a true story, reflects what real people have to go through in harsh situations. As everything comes to a head for Janiyah while navigating harsh social support systems that actually provide her very little safety net, she is, as the title suggests, at her last straw. Thereareclues throughout the film about what really broke Janiyah, driving her to this devastating, pivotal moment.
Janiyah “Broke” At The Hospital With Her Daughter
This Happened The Night Before The Events Of The Film
The clearest breaking point for Janiyah is when she is at the hospital with her daughter, Aria. At the beginning of the film, we understand that Aria is in the throes of a health crisis. After the big twist is revealed, it becomes clear thatAria died in the hospital that night due to a seizure, occurring due to complications relating to her chronic health condition. The death of one’s child is an incredibly traumatic thing for any parent to go through, so it makes sense why this would fracture Janiyah so deeply.
Janiyah actually does identify this moment as her breaking point. Specifically, the character has dialogue wherein she says thatsomething inside her “broke” and she has not felt the same since.While there is not that muchshown inStrawof the days before the hospital, her actions make it clear that she was affected in a severe way. Someone who, even if not extremely malicious in intention, holds up hostages in a bank for her daughter (who is not actually there) is clearly fractured inside.
Janiyah’s Worst Moments Are Deeply Connected To Aria
This Includes Killing The Robber And Holding Up The Bank
This breaking point plays out over the course of the whole film, becauseeverything that Janiyah does ends up connecting back to Aria. This stems back to the initial act that sent her plunging into the nadir of her life. When the robber enters the grocery store that Janiyah was fired from, he asks her to put the money from the safe into Aria’s backpack. She resists, saying she needs it for her daughter, and eventually kills this robber by shooting him. While part of this murder was a quick response, it still has a connection to Aria.
After killing the robber and her former boss, Janiyah, with the gun in tow, goes across the street to cash her check at the bank. When they end up denying her because she does not have an ID on her, that is when Janiyah pulls a gun and ends up carrying out what looks like a bank robbery. As she mentions multiple times during this robbery and hostage situation, she is fully motivated by wanting to get the money to get medicine for her daughter. These areboth huge low points for Janiyah that are motivated by her love for Aria.
What Really Happened To Janiyah In Straw?
Janiyah Did Extreme Things For Her Daughter
At the end of the day, Aria was not really there, as she died the night before the events of the film. This did not stop Janiyah, however, from carrying out extreme acts due to her trauma regarding what happened to her daughter. She still wants to protect and care for her child, even though Aria is no longer there. Therefore, while Aria may not have been alive over the course ofStraw, being in the hospital with her and her death was Janiyah’s breaking point,leading her to carry out actions with very tangible, real-life consequences.
