Down in the Delta (1998)

Rosa Lynn sends her druggie daughter Loretta and her children Thomas and Tracy away from the big city to live with their uncle Earl in the ancestral home in rural Mississippi. Earl puts ... See full summary »

Director:

Maya Angelou

Writer:

Myron Goble

Stars:

Alfre Woodard, Al Freeman Jr., Mary Alice

2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alfre Woodard	...	Loretta
Al Freeman Jr.	...	Earl
Mary Alice	...	Rosa Lynn
Esther Rolle	...	Annie
Loretta Devine	...	Zenia
Wesley Snipes	...	Will
Mpho Koaho	...	Thomas
Kulani Hassen	...	Tracy
Anne-Marie Johnson	...	Monica (as Anne Marie Johnson)
Justin Lord	...	Dr. Rainey
Richard Yearwood	...	Marco
Sandra Caldwell	...	Volunteer
Colleen Williams	...	Tourist Woman
Richard Blackburn	...	Tourist Man
Philip Akin	...	Manager

Storyline

Rosa Lynn sends her druggie daughter Loretta and her children Thomas and Tracy away from the big city to live with their uncle Earl in the ancestral home in rural Mississippi. Earl puts Loretta to work in his restaurant, Just Chicken, while also telling them about the generations of their family, the Sinclairs, dating back to their time in slavery before the the Civil War.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | watching tv | triple f rated | reference to popeyes restaurant | meat processing plant | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes, the last place you expected to be is the one place you've always belonged...

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for drug related material

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Esther Rolle's final performance, before she died.

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Goofs

When Rosa Lynn Sinclair retrieves the letter from Earl Sinclair in her mailbox, the number on the box (her apartment number) is 817. On the letter it is addressed to apartment #5.

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Quotes

Will Sinclair: I don't know how she's going to recognize me. She thinks somebody else is her own dead mother.
Earl Sinclair: Oh, yeah? Maybe somethin' come back if she more of ya.
Will Sinclair: Dad, how many times we got to talk about this? I'm not moving back to Mississippi.
Earl Sinclair: But your roots are here.
Will Sinclair: You taught me that my roots are here.
Will Sinclair: [pause, looks at the checkerboard] Whose move is it? You always do this. Why do you always start talking and then you...
Earl Sinclair: Your move.
[chuckles]
Earl Sinclair: Your move!

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Connections

Featured in Maya Angelou And Still I Rise (2016)

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Soundtracks

Shoo-Fly
Written by Mark Dubuclet and Eric McAlister
Performed by The One & Only
Published by Irving Music Inc., Dubuclet Publishing, and Stunk Funk Music (BMI)

User Reviews

A different kind of rehab.

"Down in the Delta" is a sanitized, journeyman film about a black Chicago mother of two who is sent to visit family in the Mississippi delta region with the hope that family ties, values, and environment can help her rehabilitate herself. Although an obvious "feel good" fabrication, "Down..." has a sufficient depth and charm to make it a thoroughly enjoyable watch with some good lessons for all.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Down in the Delta

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Gross USA:

$5,672,903

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,672,903

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amen Ra Films, Chris/Rose Productions, Showtime Networks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1