Lifetime’s newest film, Mary J. Blige Presents Be Happy, is a love letter to Black women redefining themselves after 50 and a testament to what happens when you finally permit yourself to live for you.
Tisha Campbell stars as Val, a devoted wife and mother who has done everything “right” for everyone else. But the reality of her lackluster marriage to her husband of more than 30 years, Ross (Russell Hornsby), pushes her into a long-delayed second act. An impromptu move from North Carolina to New Orleans to reassess her life and support her pregnant daughter places Val on a collision course with Peter Mosley (Mekhi Phifer), a handsome and charismatic photographer who sees her in ways she has long forgotten to see herself.
The unexpected connection reawakens Val’s soul, while also urging her to reevaluate what it means to be happy.
Inspired by the realities of Black women, the film’s writer, Cameron J. Ross, told Blavity’s Shadow and Act in a recent interview that he was obsessed with Black women and the conversations they were having.
Ross, who was initially apprehensive about writing for the Lifetime demographic, admitted that writing this film as a “coming of age” story for women in their 50s felt outside his scope. That perspective shifted after a conversation with his mother, a longtime fan of the network.
“We were just kind of kiki-ing about her life and what was happening with her and her girlfriends, and an incident that happened the day before,” Ross shared, adding, “My brain was like, ‘Wait a minute, I think this is the movie.'”
Inspired by his mother’s journey to rediscover happiness while navigating life as a widow, Ross created a story rooted in the idea that there is always “more life to live and way more things to explore.”
“She is retired, but she’s also on this second wind of life, trying to figure out, ‘Who am I now?'” he said. “She’s wanting to date; she’s wanting to explore things that she’s either suppressed or ignored due to motherhood.”
‘Be Happy’ explores more than just romance
The film’s exploration of transformative relationships extends beyond Val’s marriage and new romantic interest. Ross intentionally highlights Val’s evolving bond with her daughter, Kayla (Zing Ashford), as she steps into motherhood and reminds Val that true love can endure even the hardest tests.
“Sometimes mother-daughter relationships are depicted in different ways in film and television, and I wanted to show one that was pretty healthy and forgiving and a daughter that was able to hold space for her mom, a Black daughter and a Black mother,” Ross said.
That same care was applied to the male characters, whom Ross was intentional about portraying as fully realized individuals rather than afterthoughts — even though the film is primarily geared toward women.
“It was an easy choice to make them feel whole and real,” Ross said, noting that he felt a responsibility as a Black man to incorporate positive male roles.
“I wanted these men to feel fully realized,” he added. “We could have easily had a whole different movie where we kind of stayed in North Carolina and saw this emotional evolution for this husband who was trying to figure out life without his wife being there and how it’s moving him to evolve as well in order to meet his wife there.”
Working with Mona Scott-Young, Gabourey Sidibe and more
Be Happy is part of Lifetime’s partnership with Mary J. Blige to produce original films inspired by her music, through her production company, Blue Butterfly Productions. The latest release follows successful 2023 collaborations, including Real Love, Family Affair, and Strength of a Woman.
Mona Scott-Young is also a co-producer through her company, Monami Productions, while Gabourey Sidibe makes her directorial debut with the project.
Ross expressed disbelief at being surrounded by such powerful and insightful Black women throughout the production of his first original project, calling the experience “a dream come true.”
He also shared that, as a lifelong fan, he was “honored” to share screen time with Campbell, who appears as the owner of the New Orleans art gallery where Val begins to rediscover her spark.
Redefining happiness on your terms
While Be Happy delves deeply into the inner workings of relationships, it ultimately asks a broader question about what it means to be human as a Black woman. What happens when she removes her Superwoman cape and centers her joy?
“The goal is to continue to grow and evolve while enjoying the time we have here on Earth,” Ross said of the film’s central themes, before mentioning, “Life is not over, whether that is life after motherhood, life after marriage, life after giving up a dream that you felt you’ve abandoned years ago.
“There’s still time, there’s still space for you to evolve and walk into whatever you feel is a part of your life’s journey.”
The film premieres on Lifetime on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.