Even before it hits theaters this weekend, Tyler Perry’s newest film is making a splash with fans who don’t quite know what the title means.
According to Merriam-Webster, “acrimony,” which also happens to be the name of Perry’s latest project, has folks scrambling to see what the word means. And turns out, when he first heard the word on TV, Perry had to do the same thing.
“I was watching CNN and they described our president as ‘acrimonious’ — so I looked it up,” the writer and director told Page Six. “I wanted it to describe who Melinda [the main character] was, and when I found the word I knew it had to be the title of my movie.”
For the record, acrimony means “anger and bitterness, harsh or biting sharpness especially of words, manner, or feelings,” and it’s trending at the top of Merriam-Webster’s website, thanks to Perry’s film.
Starring Taraji P. Henson and Lyriq Bent, Acrimony is about a loyal wife who is fed up by her husband’s cheating ways and decides to do something about it.
Perry and Henson stopped by ABC’s The View to promote the film, and the director admitted that though he’s made 19 films, Acrimony is his favorite.
“This movie is so intense, it’s so wonderful,” Perry said. “You look at the trailer and think it’s about a man cheating on a woman, but the twists and turns take you in a different direction. I love it.”
Acrimony debuts in cinemas on Friday, March 30.
