Soul Food Review by Larry McGillicuddy Copyright Larry McGillicuddy
**** (out of 4) Directed by George Tillman Jr. Starring Vanessa Williams, Vivica Fox, Nia Long, Brandon Hammond, Mekhi Phifer, Michael Beach, Irma P. Hall, Gina Ravera
There is a scene early in Soul Food, George Tillman's comedy-drama about a large African-American family and the ordeals they go through during a crisis, that caught me completely off guard. During a wedding, the groom is flirting with some tramp, and in an attempt to to prevent a scene, his mother in law, played by Irma P. Hall, comes to the rescue. The way in which she does this makes me think Irma P. Hall is one of the greatest actresses around right now. However, this is just one magical moment in a movie filled with them.
Vanessa Williams, Vivica Fox, and Nia Long star as three sisters who have each gone their own way in life. Williams is Teri, a successful lawyer, who is frustrated by her husband Miles attempts at a music career. Fox is Maxine, the strongest of the sisters, which can be confirmed by the stability of her marriage and the wisdom of her son Ahmad, who narrates the film. Long is Bird, a hairdresser who is the last of the three to get married. Her husband Lem is an intense passionate individual whose temper gets the best of him sometime but never stops loving. At the center of everything is Irma P. Hall, as Big Mama Jo.
Every Sunday, the family gathers together for dinner at Mama Jo's house. There is lots of conversation, lots of laughs, and the occasional controversy. Mama Jo presides over the family like all mothers should. She is stern and disciplined, but also caring and forgiving.
Everything is going fine, until a tragedy befalls Mama Jo. All of a sudden, a chain reaction of events begin to destroy the family. It gets so bad, Sunday dinner is even cancelled. Without Mama Jo's guidance, there is noone to keep the family together, which frustrates Ahmad.
Miles and Maxine's marriage begins to fall apart, as he focuses on his music and flirts with the troublesome Faith. Lem's temper gets the best of him when his convict past starts to catch up to him. And Teri tries to prevent Maxine's efforts to sell Mama Jo's house. The third act of the film deals with Ahmad's attempts to patch things up. He decides to take over where Mama Jo left off, and tries to get the family back together for one more Sunday dinner.
The acting by everyone in the ensemble is outstanding, with special notices to Irma P. Hall and Brandon Hammond. Hall gives a performance that deserves to be recognized by the academy. Her Mama Jo is one of the most memorable characters I have ever encountered in a movie. Brandon Hammond is an actor with a bright future. He is wise enough not to play cutesy and shows an admirable range and depth, and speaks the final lines of the movie on the perfect note.
Tillman obviously based this movie on his own memories of growing up. Every scene in the movie is purposeful and convincing (except maybe an odd flashback sequence). The dialogue is beleiveable and funny. And then there's the food. Tillman gives us several close ups of the soul food, and it indeed looks very tasty. I can see why Sunday dinners became such a tradition for this family. Soul Food is one of the most purely entertaining movies of the year.
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