Soul Man (1986)

To achieve his dream of attending Harvard, a pampered teen poses as a young black man to receive a full scholarship.

Director:

Steve Miner

Writer:

Carol Black

Stars:

C. Thomas Howell, Rae Dawn Chong, Arye Gross

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
C. Thomas Howell	...	Mark Watson
Rae Dawn Chong	...	Sarah Walker
Arye Gross	...	Gordon Bloomfeld
James Earl Jones	...	Professor Banks
Melora Hardin	...	Whitney Dunbar
Leslie Nielsen	...	Mr. Dunbar
Ann Walker	...	Mrs. Dunbar
James Sikking	...	Bill Watson (as James B. Sikking)
Max Wright	...	Dr. Aronson
Jeff Altman	...	Ray McGrady
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Lisa Stimson
Maree Cheatham	...	Mrs. Dorothy Watson (as Marie Cheatham)
Wallace Langham	...	Barky Brewer (as Wally Ward)
Eric Schiff	...	Booey Fraser
Ron Reagan	...	Frank

Storyline

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and now, the party is over for the carefree, pampered, and very white California kid, Mark Watson. As a result, with his self-made millionaire father refusing to pay the tuition to attend the prestigious Harvard Law School, Mark's only hope rests on a full scholarship intended for an African-American applicant, and a bunch of tanning pills. Now, with his curly perm and the dark complexion, Mark can fraudulently make his dream come true; however, has Mark ever considered the ramifications, moral and legal, of his deception?

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Plot Keywords:

white man as black man | passing for black | white pretending to be black | white male pretending to be black | racial stereotype | 

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Taglines:

Guess who's coming to college?

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tim Robbins was cast in the lead but dropped out when the filming of "Howard The Duck" went over schedule.

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Goofs

About fifteen minutes into the picture, Mark and Gordon are seen traveling up Mass. Ave. in Cambridge, adjacent to the Harvard campus, and suddenly, they're not on Mass. Ave. anymore, they're on Quincy St., a couple blocks away. Then, just as suddenly, they're right back on Mass Ave., again proceeding through Harvard Square, just as they were before.

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Quotes

Professor Banks: I understand you are allowed one phone call from jail?
Mark Watson: Yes.
Professor Banks: Next time you get arrested, use it to call me. I'll bring you your books. You can study in jail.

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Connections

Referenced in Far Out Man (1990)

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Soundtracks

Eek-Ah-Bo Static Automatic
By Sly Stone
Performed by Sly Stone
Courtesy of A&M Records, Inc.

User Reviews

a awesome but misunderstood film

In this day of PC rubbish this film probably would cop a lot of flak if it was re released. People actually picketed this film in its day and it has been given the needle from Spike Lee and Eddie Murphy. Well, I am black and didnt find it offensive at all, in fact if people want to attack it and say it is they might want to look at more deserving features that are released nowadays . I personally find most of the stereotypes in the aforementioned directors films quite insulting but that doesnt mean I will hate their work. This movie, although a little awkward in its delievery is obviously made with good intention and should be commended for telling a story with very truthful elements to it. If you cannot see that then you are missing the point. The best and most significant scene is when Mark watson sits down with his rich white girlfriends family for dinner. the scenes they evision are absolutely hilarious and painfully real ...especially priceless is Leslie Nielsens thoughts. a very very funny but misunderstood film (by the wowsers anyhow). relax and enjoy a great teen flick with a real message underlying, if nothing else enjoy the scenery chewing by James Earl Jones, Rae Dawn Chong , Leslie Nielsen and a early Julia Louis-Dreyfus. excellent fun.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Imposter

Filming Locations:

Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,422,179, 26 October 1986

Gross USA:

$27,820,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$27,820,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Balcor Film Investors, Steve Tisch Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1