Soul Food (1997)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

George Tillman Jr.

Writer (WGA):

George Tillman Jr. (written by)

Release Date:

26 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A story of the people who make us strong and the recipe that makes us a family.

Plot:

Matriarch Mama Joe has held her family together for 40 years around a Sunday dinner of soul food. When diabetes hospitalizes her...

Plot Keywords:

Sister | African | Terminal Illness | Discrimination | Unemployment

Awards:

6 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Vanessa Williams	...	Teri (as Vanessa L. Williams)
Vivica A. Fox	...	Maxine
Nia Long	...	Robin
Michael Beach	...	Miles
Mekhi Phifer	...	Lem
Brandon Hammond	...	Ahmad
Jeffrey D. Sams	...	Kenny
Gina Ravera	...	Faith
Irma P. Hall	...	Mother Joe
Carl Wright	...	Reverend Williams
Mel Jackson	...	Simuel
Morgan Méchelle Smith	...	Kelly
John M. Watson Sr.	...	Uncle Pete
M.T. Alexander	...	Jada
Lawrence Petty	...	Harome

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexuality and language.

Runtime:

114 min | Argentina:115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Iceland:L | Australia:MA | Spain:13 | USA:R | Germany:6 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Edmonds Entertainment Group (EEG)

Trivia:

'Vanessa L. Williams', Vivica A. Fox, and Nia Long all previously starred in _"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990)_ as three very different love interests of Will Smith's character.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Lem is sitting in the living room talking to Kenny at his house, you can see a light from the camera visible in the window behind them.

Quotes:

Lem: I don't need your help. I can find my own job.
Bird: Okay.
[Bird stares at Lem's crotch]
Lem: And stop lookin' at my dick.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Boondocks: The Itis (#1.10)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

In Due Time

Appetizing (you're right, I'm not funny)

Wonderfully acted and well-written comedy/drama (more drama, though) about an extended family who spend their sundays together with a huge dinner. What's on the menu? Soul Food of course!

But when Big Mama Joe (and the glue of the family) falls into a coma the family fall out, it's up to Maxine's boy Ahmad, (and story narrator) to bring the big family together again for another sunday dinner.

Of course when portraying a realistic family it helps to have good actors, and with a stellar cast including Vanessa L. Williams, Vivica A. Fox and Nia Long they pull it off successfully.

Just like what the tagline says: Reality with a bite.