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Soul Man

  • 1986
  • PG-13
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
8.7K
YOUR RATING
C. Thomas Howell in Soul Man (1986)
Trailer
Play trailer1:00
1 Video
33 Photos
ComedyRomance

To achieve his dream of attending Harvard, a pampered teen poses as a young black man to receive a full scholarship.To achieve his dream of attending Harvard, a pampered teen poses as a young black man to receive a full scholarship.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
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.3/10
    8.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Steve Miner
    • Writer
      • Carol Black
    • Stars
      • C. Thomas Howell
      • Rae Dawn Chong
      • Arye Gross
    • 43User reviews
    • 22Critic reviews
    • 33Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Soul Man
    Trailer 1:00
    Watch Soul Man

    Photos33

    C. Thomas Howell, George Burns, and Charlie Schlatter in Soul Man (1986)
    C. Thomas Howell in Soul Man (1986)
    C. Thomas Howell in Soul Man (1986)
    C. Thomas Howell in Soul Man (1986)
    Rae Dawn Chong and C. Thomas Howell in Soul Man (1986)
    C. Thomas Howell and Arye Gross in Soul Man (1986)
    C. Thomas Howell and Melora Hardin in Soul Man (1986)
    C. Thomas Howell and Melora Hardin in Soul Man (1986)
    C. Thomas Howell in Soul Man (1986)
    Rae Dawn Chong and C. Thomas Howell in Soul Man (1986)
    C. Thomas Howell and Arye Gross in Soul Man (1986)
    C. Thomas Howell and Melora Hardin in Soul Man (1986)

    Top cast

    Edit
    C. Thomas Howell
    C. Thomas Howell
    • Mark Watson
    Rae Dawn Chong
    Rae Dawn Chong
    • Sarah Walker
    Arye Gross
    Arye Gross
    • Gordon Bloomfeld
    James Earl Jones
    James Earl Jones
    • Professor Banks
    Melora Hardin
    Melora Hardin
    • Whitney Dunbar
    Leslie Nielsen
    Leslie Nielsen
    • Mr. Dunbar
    Ann Walker
    Ann Walker
    • Mrs. Dunbar
    James Sikking
    James Sikking
    • Bill Watson
    • (as James B. Sikking)
    Max Wright
    Max Wright
    • Dr. Aronson
    Jeff Altman
    Jeff Altman
    • Ray McGrady
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus
    • Lisa Stimson
    Maree Cheatham
    Maree Cheatham
    • Mrs. Dorothy Watson
    • (as Marie Cheatham)
    Wallace Langham
    Wallace Langham
    • Barky Brewer
    • (as Wally Ward)
    Eric Schiff
    • Booey Fraser
    Ron Reagan
    Ron Reagan
    • Frank
    Mark Neely
    Mark Neely
    • Brad Small
    David Reynolds
    David Reynolds
    • Ernie
    • (as Dave Reynolds)
    Wolfe Perry
    • Leon
    • Director
      • Steve Miner
    • Writer
      • Carol Black
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      C. Thomas Howell had to wear colored contacts when his skin was toned to look black. His eyes are normally a goldish color and really stood out once his skin was darkened.
    • 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.
    • Quotes

      Professor Banks: You've learned something I can't teach them. You've learned what it feels like to be black.

      Mark: No sir.

      Professor Banks: Beg your pardon?

      Mark: I don't really know what it feels like sir. If I didn't like it, I could always get out. It's not the same sir.

      Professor Banks: You've learned a great deal more than I thought.

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Color of Money/Sid and Nancy/Down by Law/Clockwise (1986)
    • Soundtracks
      Hoochie Coochie Man
      By Willie Dixon

      Performed by Muddy Waters

      Courtesy of CBS Records

    User reviews43

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10
    Has its moments, but predictable and pretty lame
    This is the type of movie that only could've been made in the 80's, 'cause if it were released in present day the NAACP and other African-American organizations would've fried this movie like an egg.

    It's not terribly offensive, but there are moments where racism is condoned, though it doesn't blatantly show it. It tries to show us, in after-school special format, that it is proving some moral by showing us the raunchy stereotypes. Like reverse psychology. But it also tries to get laughs from those stereotypes. So it pretty much loses the point.

    I laughed a few times, and I wasn't bored. This is a pretty lame comedy with a plot as predictable as night and day, but it moves along in a slick '80's teen-bopper flick style. The premise is preposterous and the film gets more preposterous by the minute, but some laughs are drawn from that stupidity. However, there are no big laughs. And the whole film plays like a sitcom, trying way too hard, and failing more often than it should.
    helpful•7
    13
    • mattymatt4ever
    • Mar 30, 2001

    Top picks

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 24, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Imposter
    • Filming locations
      • Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
    • Production companies
      • Balcor Film Investors
      • Steve Tisch Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $27,820,000
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,422,179
      • Oct 26, 1986
    • Gross worldwide
      • $27,820,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 44 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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