- published: 28 Sep 2015
- views: 46312
Soul Food is a 1997 American comedy-drama film, produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Tracey Edmonds, and Robert Teitel, and released by Fox 2000 Pictures. Featuring an ensemble cast, the film stars Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Michael Beach, Mekhi Phifer, Jeffrey D. Sams, Irma P. Hall, Gina Ravera, and Brandon Hammond. Written and directed by George Tillman, Jr. (in his major studio debut), the film centers on the trials of an extended African-American family, held together by longstanding family traditions which begin to fade as serious problems take center stage. Tillman based the family in the film on his own, and Soul Food was widely acclaimed for presenting a more positive image of African-Americans than is typically seen in Hollywood films.
In 2000, Showtime premiered a one-hour television series based upon the film. In 2015, it was announced that 20th Century Fox is planning a sequel for film called More Soul Food writen by George Tillman Jr.
Soul Food is told through the eyes of 11-year-old Ahmad (Hammond), follows the trials of the Joseph family, a close-knit Chicago family that gets together to have Sunday dinner every week, with plenty of soul food to go around. Mother (Big Mama) Joe (Hall) has three daughters, who each have had varying success in life: oldest daughter Teri (Williams) has become a successful lawyer, but has a strained relationship with younger sister Maxine (Fox) who stole and eventually married Teri's former boyfriend, Kenny (Sams). Teri is currently married to Miles (Beach), a lawyer who quit his job to pursue his dream of being an R&B musician, which Teri doesn't support. Youngest daughter Ryla (Long)—nicknamed "Bird"—has just opened a barbershop/beauty parlor, and is married to Lem (Phifer), an ex-convict.
C'mon children, we got soul food in the house
We got cornbread, mash potato, a-candied yam an' turnip greens
We got a little chitlin', it's soul food
I see the preacher comin', we're fixin' a plate
"Will ya pass the biscuit please?"
Shut-up boy, an' eat them greens!
It's soul food, ya get your stomach full
Want ya to eat, ya'all
I'm gonna play for ya
Ow! Woo!
I see a man headed 'cross the track
Food was so good, I see he's comin' back
It's soul food
It's soul food
It's soul food
It's soul food
It's soul food
It's soul food
It's soul food