The Lowdown: Soul Food is a wonderful film about family tradition and values, and how those elements keep a family together through thick and thin. Uplifting and heartwarming, this is one of those films that brings people together.
1. The Plot: Soul Food centers on the trials and tribulations of the Joseph family. Big Mama Joe (Irma P. Hall) is the wise and loving matriarch of the family, and she has always kept her family together through good times and bad times with Sunday dinners, where there is plenty of good soul food to go around. Big Mama has three daughters who each have drama in their lives. Teri (Vanessa Williams), the oldest daughter, is a successful lawyer, but the spark in her marriage with her husband Miles (Michael Beach) has disappeared. Maxine (Vivica A. Fox), the second oldest, has a stable marriage and a son, Ahmad (Brandon Hammond), but is constantly feuding with Teri because Maxine stole and married Teri’s boyfriend, Kenny (Jeffrey D. Sams). Bird (Nia Long), the youngest daughter, has just married Lem (Mekhi Phifer), an ex-convict, and opened her own beauty parlor. One day, Big Mama suffers a stroke and is hospitalized. Without her guidance, the family problems threaten to tear everyone apart.
2. The Characters: Soul Food features a huge star ensemble cast, all of whom turn in stellar performances. Big Mama is played by Irma P. Hall (The Ladykillers), who perfectly embodies her role with her warm and hospitable personality. Vanessa Williams (Eraser) is cold and bossy as Teri, whose failing marriage and feuding with her sister has left her drained. As a successful lawyer, she helps the family out financially, which becomes a huge burden as well. Vivica A. Fox (Independence Day) is Maxine, who is the only daughter to have had a stable, happy marriage. Her resentfulness of Teri’s bossy attitude leads to heated arguments that play out much like any argument between siblings. Nia Long (Friday) plays Bird, who struggles with her marriage to an ex-con, Lem. She loves her husband, but is worried about the fact that he can’t find a job. The supporting cast is also excellent. Michael Beach is Miles, Teri’s husband, who tries to reignite the spark in their marriage, but all seems to be for naught. Gina Ravera is Faith, the cousin who has always caused trouble and been a constant burden on the family. Mekhi Phifer (8 Mile, O) is Lem, Bird’s husband, who is tormented daily by the fact that he is an ex-convict and can’t find employment. Phifer is adept at playing conflicted characters, and delivers one of the best performances in the film. Brandon Hammond plays Ahmad, Maxine’s son, who narrates the film, providing an innocent perspective on the events that unfold.
3. The Soundtrack:Soul Food has an excellent soundtrack comprising of classic R&B and hip-hop tracks. Soulful R&B jams such as “A Song For Mama” by Boyz II Men and “I Care ‘Bout You” by Milestone are standout tracks that fit thematically with the film and are outstanding standalone tracks. “A Song For Mama” is easily the best Mother’s Day song ever. Hear it for yourself.
4. Mom Knows Best: Soul Food teaches the importance of family values, and it drives the message home clearly. Big Mama is the central figure of the family and she maintains order through love and authority. Both of these elements co-exist with each other; Big Mama must keep things under control or her tightly-knit family will fall apart, and she does this out of love for her family. She understands that there is drama brewing amongst her daughters and their families, and her daughters rely on their mother to help resolve the situation. She has always been there for them. Then when Big Mama is hospitalized, the family realizes how much they relied on her for support and care. Problems escalate and go unresolved, and the family struggles under the burden, but ultimately learns to cope and deal with their issues. This is a metaphor for how the one person in all of our lives who was there to back us up is our mother. Mom is always the one person who can get everyone together and solve problems with ease. When we are children and growing up, we seem to take our mothers for granted. Got a problem? Ask mom. It’s only when we get a bit older and wiser that we have to begin fending for ourselves and solving our own problems. It’s a tough transition because we realize then how much we relied on our mothers. The same can be said for the Joseph family. Big Mama kept everyone together, but once she was gone, the family had a difficult time adjusting and fixing their own personal problems. It was time for them to learn the importance of keeping the family together on their own because they had the capability to bring and maintain order.
The Bottom Line: Soul Food is one of the quintessential family dramas because it is totally heartwarming. At the very core of it, Soul Food is about the importance of togetherness in a family unit. Every family goes through trials and tribulations, but staying together provides the moral support that each family member needs to pull through. As Big Mama said, “You do what you have to do to stay strong.” Sometimes, all it takes is some good ole soul food.
To sum it up, “Mama, I just want you to know, loving you is like food to my soul.” – Boyz II Men
Happy Mother’s Day!
Soul Foodis property of Fox 2000 Pictures and Edmonds Entertainment Group. This review was written by me.
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Copyright © Filmaholic Reviews, 2013
