Soul Food (1997) – Movie Review

Movie Review • Soul Food is a movie I consider as one of the few movies that represents the black family and how food plays a huge part in our history. Director George Tillman did an amazing job depicting the different issues family members experience. 

Every family has that Big Mama that gives the best hugs and makes the meanest fried chicken, collard greens with mac and cheese. If the top of that mac and cheese not a little burnt, it’s not done right. Irma P. Hall gave us that in the roll of Big Mama. She was that grandma that will cuss you out and pray for you all in one sentence. 

We didn’t get to experience Big Mama’s presence as long as we wanted with her diabetes causing her to go into a coma and eventually succumbing to it. Dang! Did the director try to warn us that all the soul food we eat is the cause of the health issues in the black family? I mean it didn’t work because you can still catch me with a piece of chicken. I will bake it if that makes it better. 

Teri (Vanessa L. Williams) seemed to have it all being the successful lawyer, but she had her own issues at home with Miles (Miles Beach). Out of all the women in Chicago, you cheat on your wife with her cousin? Now the trunk must get popped because that’s the ultimate violation. Vanessa L. Williams was going through a divorce while filming so that anger was real when she was trying to stab Miles. Teri just had it bad in the film, because her own sister Maxine (Vivica A. Fox) lowkey stole her man in high school & now they’re happily married with kids. Chile, this movie was full of toxic family issues.

Bird (Nia Long) was “entertaining” her ex to help get her husband a job who was struggling due to his criminal record. Of course that goes left once Lem (Mekhi Phifer) finds out. The ex was super shady so the audience saw that coming from a mile away. Regardless of the family drama, Ahmad (Brandon Hammond) was still able to get the family together for Sunday dinner. He had to do some lying to pull it off, but his intentions were good.

Soul Food is the type of movie you love because of the drama and family bonding. It’s the depiction of most of our families, because we all have issues. The acting was spectacular and the writing was amazing. A  star studded cast that portrayed each type of family member very well, with a legit soundtrack to follow. If you need a refresher, check the movie out on Prime or Peacock.