Soul Food

SOUL FOOD is an entertaining and, at times moving film that chronicles the lives of a tight-knit African American family. Big Mama (Irma P. Hall) is the widowed patriarch and referee who always knows exactly what to say to her children in any situation. Vanessa Williams is Terri, the oldest daughter, a no-nonsense attorney who spends a lot of time bailing family members out of tight spots and never lets them forget it. Terri's husband Miles (Michael Beach) is also an attorney who really wants to be a musician and is fighting an attraction to Terri's flaky cousin Faith (Gina Ravera). Viveca A. Fox is Maxine, the middle daughter who is married to Kenny (Jeffrey D. Sams), who we learn she stole from Terri when they were teenagers and has a son Ahmad (Brandon Hammond)who assists Big Mama in her job as family referee. The story opens at the wedding of youngest daughter Bird (Nia Long)whose new husband (Mikhi Phifer)is having trouble securing employment because of his stint in prison. The family manages to handle their differences until Big Mama is incapacitated by illness and can no longer be peacekeeper, but young Ahmad, seeing his family crumble, steps up to take up the slack. This entertaining comedy-drama has a surprisingly smart screenplay and first-rate performances, with young Hammond a standout. Lovely family drama that affectionately embraces the experience of a loving African American family. And the food looks delicious!

I love this movie.

I just saw it for the first time and could kick myself for waiting so

long. Brandon Hammond is a hoot and Viveca A. Fox was wonderful. It is

so nice to see a movie centered around an African-American family that

wasn't about hoods or hip-hop. Every family, black or white or

whatever, can identify with the kinds of problems this family had.

There is a poignant, endearing quality to this movie that just appealed

to me and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a "feel-good" fix

without the sweet-as-saccharine quality so many movies have.

OK, so I waited for 4 years to see this movie. Silly me. This movie was very good. Not great, but very good. The acting really carried what was a mediocre script. The movie did peak my interest in how this family addressed issues openly among themselves. They did not try to sweep things under the rugs. Rather, they used "Sunday dinner" as an opportunity to address tough family issues such an infidelity, gambling addition and encarceration.

The film was also successful at capturing many aspects of a typical, 90's African-American family. Being half African-American, I can see traces of my very own family in this film and thought that the script was very true, open and honest.

Family is going every Sunday evening to grandmother Irma P. Hall's home for supper of corn bread, chicken, catfish, and all the other fixings. But when the diabetes takes her, is there anything that can hold them together? Life is hard, and sisters Vanessa Williams, Viveca Fox, and Nia Long can fight like cats and dogs, and the men are prickly and proud in this movie by George Tillman Jr. As life goes on and the cares of world and ambition pull them apart, Mekhi Phifer hatches a plan to keep the family together.

Although the details are often surprising and sometimes threatening, it's a recognition that people express their love in in uncomfortable ways. For people who grew up poor, there's no better way to show love than by offering and receiving good food.

I totally enjoyed this movie. It had me full of emotion and rubbing my belly all at the same time. It's hard to understand why all families cannot sit down and enjoy times like the Joseph family had. Lem getting arrested, Teri & Max at each others throats, Mama Joe's illness, and Faith and Myles' bad deed really tested that love. This was a film that brought to light about hard times and rising above them. One person can make a difference. Ahmad proved that by getting the whole family back for "sunday dinner." It is always a silver lining to a negative situation. That food would definitely bring me back! We need more of these times in today's world. Forget materials things, love is bigger.