Soul Man
Seen it?1986 | 104 min | Comedy
Weeknight Watchearly ratingWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
It made about 8 times its budget, but just 17% on Rotten Tomatoes and a lukewarm 5.2 out of 10 from audiences held it back. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh.
- The mood
- Light and funny.
- The pace
- Breezy, at 1 hr 44 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.
A white prospective grad student's affluent family won't pay his way through law school, so he takes tanning pills to darken his skin in order to qualify for an African-American scholarship at Harvard. He soon gets more than he bargained for, as he begins to learn what life is really like for blacks in America.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsWeak
17% on Rotten Tomatoes, 33 on Metacritic
- AudiencesBelow par
5.2 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$35 million worldwide on a $5 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 143K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Steve Miner
- C. Thomas HowellMark Watson
- Rae Dawn ChongSarah Walker
- Arye GrossGordon Bloomfeld
- James Earl JonesProfessor Banks
- Melora HardinWhitney Dunbar
- Leslie NielsenMr. Dunbar
- Ann WalkerMrs. Dunbar
- James B. SikkingBill Watson
- Max WrightDr. Aronson
- Jeff AltmanRay McGrady