Soul Food

19971997
1515
1h 55m

7.0/10

Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Mekhi Phifer, Vanessa Williams, Michael Beach, Irma P. Hall, Brandon Hammond, and Jeffrey D. Sams in Soul Food (1997)

One person can keep a family together and, when that one person is gone, a family can be torn apart.One person can keep a family together and, when that one person is gone, a family can be torn apart.One person can keep a family together and, when that one person is gone, a family can be torn apart.

7.0/10

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 6 wins & 11 nominations

Videos1

Trailer 0:32

Soul Food

Photos39

Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Vanessa Williams, Michael Beach, Irma P. Hall, Brandon Hammond, and Jeffrey D. Sams in Soul Food (1997)

Matriarch Mama Joe has held her family together for 40 years around a Sunday dinner of soul food. When diabetes hospitalizes her, the dinners stop and tensions among her three daughters start to break the family apart. Two of the sisters feud continuously: Teri is jealous of Maxine's marriage and irritated that everyone assumes her corporate salary is open to the rest of the family's uses. Maxine resents Teri's bossiness and insensitivity to family tradition. Bird, the youngest, newly married to an ex-con, accepts a favor from an old lover that leads to her husband's arrest. Mama Joe's grandson Ahmad cooks up a scheme to bring the family together, back to the table. —<jhailey@hotmail.com>

loss of grandmother timeframe 1990s sister 1990s food in title 14 more

Taglines
- A story of the people who make us strong and the recipe that makes us a family.
Genres
- Comedy
- Drama
Certificate
- 15
Parents guide

Trivia
Mekhi Phifer, who played Lem, was at one point married to Malinda Williams, who plays Bird in the cable series.

Goofs
When Bird's co-workers are attacking Lem when he comes out the bathroom, he's wearing boxers under his towel.

Quotes
Mama Joe: You see, in life we all make some bad choices. My husband was a gambler. Almost cost us this house. But I worked, on my hands and knees, cleaning up after white folks. Taking in laundry. You do what you have to do to stay strong.

Alternate versions
The first version of this movie that George Tillman Jr made was entitled Spice of Life. It was released on a local cable access channel in Milwaukee, WI.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Peacemaker/Soul Food/The Edge/The Ice Storm/The Assignment (1997)

Soundtracks
A Song for Mama
Written by Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds
Produced by Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds (as Babyface) for ECAF Productions, Inc.
Performed by Boyz II Men (as Boyz II Men)
Boyz II Men appear courtesy of Motown Records

Top review

So True Its Scary

When I first saw this film it reminded me so much of my family I actually got nervous. The story depicted in this film is so true especially in many Black families, especially mine. The story is pretty much about how a family breaks up after the matriarch becomes ill and eventually dies causing rifts to develop due to the fact that the one person who keeps the family grounded is no longer around to mediate disputes and to show love and guidance to the younger generation. This is definitely a wonderful film that should be viewed by every family no matter what race they are.

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