Soul Man (1986)

Director:

Steve Miner

Writer:

Carol Black (written by)

Release Date:

24 October 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

A comedy with heart and soul.

Plot:

To achieve his dream of attending Harvard, a pampered teen poses as a young black man to receive a full scholarship.

Plot Keywords:

Role Reversal | White Male Pretending To Be Black | Racial | White Pretending To Be Black | Interracial

Cast

C. Thomas Howell	...	Mark Watson
Rae Dawn Chong	...	Sarah Walker
Arye Gross	...	Gordon Bloomfeld
James Earl Jones	...	Professor Banks
Melora Hardin	...	Whitney Dunbar
Leslie Nielsen	...	Mr. Dunbar
Ann Walker	...	Mrs. Dunbar
James Sikking	...	Bill Watson (as James B. Sikking)
Max Wright	...	Dr. Aronson
Jeff Altman	...	Ray McGrady
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Lisa Stimson
Maree Cheatham	...	Mrs. Dorothy Watson (as Marie Cheatham)
Wallace Langham	...	Barky Brewer (as Wally Ward)
Eric Schiff	...	Booey Fraser
Ron Reagan	...	Frank

Also Known As:

The Imposter (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 ([#28314]) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 (video rating) (uncut) (1987) | UK:PG (original rating) (cut) | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

Wheaton College - 26 E. Main Street, Norton, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Balcor Film Investors

Trivia:

Co-stars C. Thomas Howell and Rae Dawn Chong met on the set of this film and later married.

Quotes:

Professor Banks: I understand you are allowed one phone call from jail?
Mark Watson: Yes.
Professor Banks: Next time you get arrested, use it to call me. I'll bring you your books. You can study in jail.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "American Dad!: With Friends Like Steve's (#1.22)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Totally Academic

Ridiculous but worthwhile

What can I say? Some trashy movies can become addictive. This is one of those movies. With each viewing, you discover something new. It's definately a thought-provoking film, at times preachy, at times heart-warming romance, at times slapstick, and at times blatantly racist. And yes, at times painfully stupid. C. Thomas Howell may well have done the poorest job in film history of impersonating a black man, and black people nationwide were justifiably offended. The epiphany Howell undergoes toward the end of the film only partially redeems his character. The wonderful performance by James Earl Jones as the dour Professor Banks, and of course Arye Gross as Howell's hilarious sidekick Gordon go a long way toward's salvaging what could have been a preachy, sentimental mess. Well, almost. From me it get's a 4/10. But like I say, it's addictive. Somewhat like popcorn. Final verdict: Not a bad rental, and if you can find the DVD at Walmart for under $10 go ahead and buy it.