Plot

In a desperate attempt to change her life, Loretta -- a troubled single mother from a tough Chicago neighborhood -- is sent to spend a summer at her family's ancestral home in rural Mississippi.

Frustrated by a lack of opportunity, Loretta (Academy Award nominee Alfre Woodard) self-destructs while struggling to find meaning in the asphalt jungle of Chicago, often leaving her loving mother Rosa Lynn to care for her two children. An exasperated Rosa Lynn masterminds a holistic intervention and ships her daughter out to live with Rosa's successful brother (Al Freeman Jr.) in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, hoping her daughter will find fulfillment under his mentorship while reconnecting to their charged southern heritage through the story of a particularly inspiring ancestor. Maya Angelou crafts an endearingly poetic family portrait in what was regrettably her only film. DOWN IN THE DELTA ranks as one of the unsung gems of 1990s independent filmmaking. Featuring Loretta Devine (WAITING TO EXHALE), Esther Rolle (from TV's legendary series GOOD TIMES) in her final film appearance, and Wesley Snipes - who also produced.—Mae Moreno

In a desperate attempt to change her life, Loretta -- a troubled single mother from a tough Chicago neighborhood -- is sent to spend a summer at her family's ancestral home in rural Mississippi. In "The Delta," with the support and wisdom of her hardworking uncle Earl, Loretta finally begins to see a way to provide for her young children and reverse the downward slide of her life.—Anonymous

Single, drug-using mom Loretta Sinclair (Alfre Woodard) lives in a rough Chicago neighborhood with her mother, Rosa Lynn (Mary Alice) and two children, 11-year-old Thomas (Mpho Koaho) and little autistic Tracy (Kulani Hassen). Afraid that her daughter's situation will deteriorate, Rosa Lynn decides to send her daughter and grandchildren to spend the summer with her cousin Earl (Al Freeman, Jr.) in the Mississippi delta.

Before their departure, Rosa Lynn pawns a family heirloom candelabrum they refer to as "Nathan", the name of their slave ancestor. Exiting the pawn shop, Loretta throws the pawn ticket in a wastebasket, but on a whim retrieves it; perhaps she thinks she can redeem Nathan later for drugs.

The three are welcomed in rural Mississippi by Earl, a man of few words yet wise, where he lives with his senile wife Annie (Esther Rolle) who is cared for by a housekeeper. Earl puts Loretta to work in his chicken joint, where she understandably has a hard time keeping up with the work and the demands of a schedule.

Eventually they all bloom, with Thomas teaching Loretta enough arithmetic to be able to waitress and thus make more in tips; Loretta becoming friendly with a nice local customer named Carl (Nigel Shawn Williams), and Tracy actually saying her first words.

While a few calamities ensue, one involving Earl teaching Thomas about guns and the other when Annie wanders outside unsupervised, by the end of the summer the initially sullen Loretta decides to stay on and make her life in the delta. In the final scene, Nathan is redeemed and Earl tells them all of their proud family heritage.