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Soul Man

1986

Steve Miner

C. Thomas Howell, Rae Dawn Chong, James Earl Jones, Arye Gross ...

4.6

456

Comedy In order to win a scholarship, Mark Watson (C. Thomas Howell), the white son of an affluent psychiatrist, pretends to be black on his application form. When he's accepted, he alters his hair, skin and speech to conceal his true identity. At first Mark believes that going through law school as a minority will be a breeze, but he soon begins experiencing racism. Eventually, Mark falls in love with Sarah Walker (Rae Dawn Chong), a black ... [+]

	Media	Author	Review
		Empire	"Howell makes the least convincing black guy ever, his eventual contrition feels hollow and forced — much like the laughs. (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"
		Variety Staff Variety	"This social farce is excellently written, fast paced and intelligently directed. Film is hilarious throughout."
		David Ansen Newsweek	"Though some viewers are sure to take offense, between the scattered laughs the movie's most remarkable achievement is its run-of-the mill dullness"
		Janet Maslin The New York Times	"It has a breezy, unapologetic manner. And it also happens to be funny, which goes a long way toward making up for any underlying obtuseness or insensitivity."
		Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times	"This is a genuinely interesting idea, filled with dramatic possibilities, but the movie approaches it on the level of a dim-witted sit-com (...) Rating: ★ (out of 4)"
		Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune	"'Soul Man' is a slick, frightening piece of work. It's not only because Ron Reagan Jr. has a bit part in it that it seems the definitive Reagan-era film."
		Sheila Benson Los Angeles Times	"'Soul Man' is a mess, at almost every level. Steve Miner's direction stabs at farce, misses; makes a desperate dive at comedy, misses, and settles for sitcom sentimentality"

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