Soul Man

Critics Consensus

Critics had a whole lot less than a truckload of good loving for this woefully misguided take on race in '80s America.

13%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 23

34%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 6,949

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Movie Info

This comedy presents the story of a white college student who desperately wants to enroll in the Harvard Law School, but since his wealthy father refuses to help him pay the $54,000 he needs, so he begins taking tanning pills to darken his skin so he will be eligible to win the Bouchard Fellowship which is only awarded to African-American students. He wins it and goes despite the fact that he beats out a hard-working African American mother for the honor. While on campus, the young fellow learns a lot about racism and bigotry. He also falls in love with the woman he took the scholarship from.
  • Rating:
    PG-13 (adult situations/language)
  • Genre:
    Comedy
  • Directed By:
    Steve Miner
  • Written By:
    Carol Black, Neal Marlens
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    New World Video

Cast

C. Thomas Howell
as Mark Watson
Rae Dawn Chong
as Sarah Walker
Arye Gross
as Gordon Bloomfield
James Earl Jones
as Prof. Banks
Melora Hardin
as Whitney Dunbar
Leslie Nielsen
as Mr. Dunbar
James B. Sikking
as Bill Watson
Max Wright
as Dr. Aronson
Jeff Altman
as Ray McGrady
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
as Lisa Stinson
Jonathan [Fudge] Leonard
as George Walker
Melissa Skoff
Betty Cole
as Mrs. Walker
Freddie Dawson
as D.J.
M.C. Gainey
as Man in Cell
Donald Hotton
as Mr. Wicher
Linda Hoy
as Mrs. Sherwood
Paul F. O'Brien
as Officer Schkolnick
Amy Stock-Poynton
as Girl in Bed
Ann Walker
as Mrs. Dunbar
Jonathan Wise
as Andrew
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Critic Reviews for Soul Man

All Critics (23) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (3) | Rotten (20)

View All Critic Reviews (23)

Audience Reviews for Soul Man

  • Mar 23, 2016
    Some of the scenes in the film where funny and overall the film wasn't boring or unwatchable. Taking pills that make your skin darker so that you can qualify for a university isn't terrible, but acting like a total jerk to other people once you're black is and it's also a little bit racist. Although I don't think it was intentional, it was still racist. The poster says " A comedy with a heart and soul. "...really?
    Tarin P Super Reviewer
  • Mar 21, 2010
    This has got to be one of the most underestimated 80's movies around! Whatever happened to C. Thomas Howell? Criminal Minds TV?? He needs to be back doing films like this! Very funny moments in this and James Earl Jones is pricelss as well as I hate to say it Arye Gross?? I usually hate him but he was funny! Rae Dong Chongs really only good movie! Even Leslie Neilsen and Julia Louis Dreyfus did well in this classic!
    Matthew L Super Reviewer
  • Feb 20, 2009
    "Soul Man" is an embarrassing movie that somehow manages to be simultaneously intentionally and unintentionally racist. C. Thomas Howell plays a pampered rich kid whose parents cut him off just as he's been accepted to Harvard law school. He takes an overdose of "tanning" pills and voila! he's african american! Add to that a cheap afro wig, and he's gets a fully paid scholarship reserved for african american students. C. Thomas really doesn't look ethnic at all though, he just looks like a guy in blackface. Not alot of laughs in this movie, either intentional or post-ironic, it's just sort of average (although the sight of 90 lb C. Thomas punching out two guys who go FLYING across the room is pretty entertaining- what was it about punching a guy in the 80s that caused him to go flying 20 feet across a building?). A completely pedestrian waste of time.
    Devon B Super Reviewer
  • Oct 26, 2008
    Yeah, it's bad, and kind of racist, but I think it's probably well intentioned, just done badly. It has that bad 80's kind of appeal. Wanted to hate it, but just couldn't.
    Nicki M Super Reviewer
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