Soul Food (1997)

reviewed by
James Berardinelli


SOUL FOOD
A Film Review by James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.0
Alternative Scale: *** out of ****

United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: 9/26/97 (wide) Running Length: 1:55 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, sexual situations, brief violence) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Cast: Vanessa L. Williams, Vivica Fox, Nia Long, Michael Beach, Mekhi Phifer, Jeffrey D. Sams, Brandon Hammond, Gina Ravera, Irma P. Hall Director: George Tillman Jr. Producer: Tracey E. Edmonds, Robert Teitel Screenplay: George Tillman Jr. Cinematography: Paul Elliott Music: Lisa Coleman , Wendy Melvoin U.S. Distributor: 20th Century Fox

When it comes to "food" movies, you know the titles: BABETTE'S FEAST, EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN, BIG NIGHT, and so on... You also know the advice: eat before coming to the theater or suffer a grumbling stomach for ninety-plus minutes followed by a mad dash to the nearest restaurant once the end credits start to roll. And, while SOUL FOOD, the first major release from director George Tillman Jr. (who previously made a low-budget feature called SCENES FOR THE SOUL), isn't on the same level as the previously-mentioned motion pictures, there's at least one scene that's a literal feast for the eyes.

Whether it's BOYZ 'N THE HOOD, DEAD PRESIDENTS, or SET IT OFF, the tendency for movies aimed at black audiences is to make them fast-paced, loud, and violent. As a result, a kinder, gentler movie like SOUL FOOD is something of a rarity (although, with entrees like THE PREACHER'S WIFE and LOVE JONES, they are becoming a little more common). This film is a celebration of life and family, and a recognition that, through good times and bad times, the ties of blood provide an unbreakable life- line.

SOUL FOOD tells the story of the trials of the Joseph family when their beloved matriarch, Mama Joe (Irma P. Hall), slips into a diabetes- induced coma. Without Mama Joe's ritual Sunday dinners to keep everyone together, the family begins to drift apart, with gaps widening between sisters and spouses. The film essentially follows the lives of Mama Joe's three daughters. Terri (Vanessa L. Williams), the eldest, is a driven lawyer who puts work above her neglected husband, Miles (Michael Beach). Miles is tempted away from his steady, well-paying job by the lure of his true love, music, and away from his wife by the proffered charms of Terri's cousin, Faith (Gina Ravera). Maxine (Viveca Fox) is happily married to Kenny (Jeffrey D. Sams), and spends her days caring for her husband and three children. Bird (Nia Long) is newly hitched to ex-con Lem (Mekhi Phifer), an intense, caring man whose volatile temper often proves to be his undoing.

SOUL FOOD is told from the point-of-view of young Ahmed (Brandon Hammond), Maxine and Kenny's son. While a few of his observations are insightful, most of his voiceover narrative is superfluous and even irritating. 75% of what he says is either needless exposition or useless trivia. Simply put, the kid won't shut up. It's one thing to open and close a film with a voiceover, but Ahmed's voice can be heard throughout, dispensing pearls of wisdom that we could have easily done without.

Because the main characters are female, it's easy to compare SOUL FOOD to the uneven WAITING TO EXHALE. Both films feature their share of small melodramas, and neither has an especially high opinion of the male gender (although SOUL FOOD, which is written and directed by a man, doesn't come as close to "male-bashing" as EXHALE did). But, despite a share of minor cliches and the occasional too-pat resolution, SOUL FOOD is easily the better film. The acting is more believable, the storyline is more true-to-life, and the characters are more sympathetic. SOUL FOOD stays a cut above the average melodrama by keeping the characters grounded and the situations from becoming too ripe. There's a fine line between good, solid drama and the sudsiness of a soap opera, and, although there are times when SOUL FOOD crosses over, the movie remains predominantly on the right side.

With a uniformly attractive cast, SOUL FOOD isn't hard on the eyes. Everyone (including Vanessa Williams, who isn't known as a stellar actress) acquits themselves admirably, although it's worth noting that none of the roles are terribly complex, so there's little need for anyone to stretch their range. And, while the meals don't take on the same importance as in certain other food movies, we still get an eyeful: deep-fried catfish, chicken and dumplings, cornbread, cakes, and other assorted dishes. SOUL FOOD contains enough diverse cinematic ingredients to add a little zest and flavor to the pleasant-but-familiar cinematic fare of an African American family drama.

Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
- James Berardinelli
e-mail: berardin@mail.cybernex.net

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