Rating: 
Summary: The road to hell...
Review: ... is paved with good intentions. This film is one of those paving stones. The spirit of the film is pretty obvious. It truly means to be a noble film and teach a lesson. But, because it raised issues of stereotyping and told some bad enthic jokes in the process it was attacked in the media. And I really don't think it deserved all the attacks and the slander. The film is a fantasy, nothing more, that tries to through a little humor on the race issue in America. A pity Americans, black or white, find it so hard to laugh at ourselves.
Rating: 
Summary: C.Thomas Howell is the best
Review: C.Thomas Howell is my favorite,favorite, favorite actor of all time and always will be! I loved him since I saw E.T (the extra terrestrial). I am 13 now and have been collecting all his movies since I first ever saw his work which was E.T and the excellent film "The Outsiders. He is such a brilliant actor! In the 80's and 90's he was a big star...now to me he still is awesome. He hasnt been appearing in many films lately but I hope that he will... he is my inspiration in life...he helped my acting improve, when I saw the Outsiders he made me feel better about myself. I can say so many good things about him! I never ever will forget that smile or his incredible talent (not to mention his gorgeous face lol*) I hope that he knows how much I adore both him and his work! I even made my s/n IluvThomasHowell lol* I collect every single picture of him, and every article...my mom thinks that it is so cute that I like u...i watch the outsiders everyday( at least 3-4 times lol*) So I am just letting u know I have saw all your movies....and you will always hold a special place in my heart! Thank you for being my inspiration and my role model! *lauren*
Rating:
Summary: C Thomas Howell's best performances since The Outsiders
Review: Considering the depth in which C Thomas has sunk himself at the end of the 80's, this is his best movie since The Outsiders. It is to be taken as entertainment rather than a "life lesson on tolerance" and I loved it. It is among my fav' 80's movies along the side of The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles or the Karate Kid.
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Movie In The Whole World!
Review: First off let me say this, I'm black and I have never been offended by Soul Man though a lot of people have. I know when the film came out there were protesters and a lot of media hassles because some felt it was racist. It wasn't racist or offensive to me and Soul Man has always been my favorite movie. I thought it was funny and I would love to see it re-done these days. I believe it would be even funnier. I don't believe the filmmakers put black people down by having C. Thomas Howell pretend to be black. Sure he said some ignorant things and the film made references to how black people talk and act, but it was harmless and only to prove a point. People know no one acts as dumb as he did, being black or white. I never understood why some people cause trouble where there is none. This is a good, wholesome movie. I'm a lot more offended by the trash that's in the movie these days than anything I saw in Soul Man. I loved the movie and developed a huge crush on C. Thomas Howell when I was a kid because of this film. And I thought he looked great black! I wish his future roles had been so entertaining. This is his best work. The basketball scene and " Shaft " scene are my favorites. I wished they would have done a scene with Mark and Sara going to a danceclub. That would have been hilarious and fun to see how he handled things. If you like good clean fun, this is for you! The ultimate buddy movie and one of the best date movies ever. No matter what year it is.
Rating:
Summary: The best movie in my life.
Review: Hi,
Soul Man is one of those movies that make me feel so good with the world. Someone said that this movie was a racist one but, after so long time, I can say that it was the best way to show how the integration between races is so much well described in this great movie. Yes, maybe it wasnt a super billionar movie but with its simplicity and fresh way to see the world, it is the movie that must be in a home movie collection !
I'm a white and I'm so proud of the blacks and maybe this movie made more than the same blacks think.
Thanks Soul Man. Luca
Rating:
Summary: Better than I expected.
Review: I just recently watched this movie for the first time. It's the first C. Thomas Howell movie I enjoyed since "Side Out." I listened to all the negative remarks about this movie made by Spike Lee and other people, so I just never had the urge to watch it. But now that I've seen it myself, I'm glad I took the time, because I really enjoyed it. Sure, C. Thomas Howell doesn't come close to looking Afro-American... he barely even touches on warmed-over Puerto Rican. However, if you just accept it as a plot device, the movie works very well. Kind of a comic reworking of "Black Like Me", "Soul Man" tells the story of Mark Watson, a young upper-class white guy who's kinda narrow-minded and smarmy. He and his friend (played with great comedic timing by Arye Gross) are both accepted to Harvard Law. Mark's father, under the influence of his progeny-hating psychiatrist, refuses to pay his tuition--opting instead to use Mark's college money to buy a condo in Barbados. So Mark is forced to find a way to pay his tuition on his own. Unable to get a loan from his bank, he tries to ferret out available scholarships. He comes across a scholarship program that would fit his needs perfectly. The only hitch? It's the Henry Brouchard scholarship program for qualified black students. So, with the help of some tanning pills and an Afro, Mark is on his way to Harvard Law School. The rest of the movie is about his experiences as a "black" man, and the lessons he learns to apply as a "white" one. He experiences racism and discrimination on the opposite side of the spectrum for the first time. My own particular favorite scene is the dinner scene when Mark is invited over to dinner with a white family. Each member of the family sees him as a different stereotype... the young son sees him as a music star, the mother sees him as a "Mandingo"-type character, and the racist father (played nicely by Leslie Nielsen in one of his last non-comedic roles) sees him as a jive-talking pimp who's corrupted his daughter. A very efficient (and clever) way to get the point across. The cast and crew did a nice job of using comedy to broach a very touchy subject. However, don't think it's a perfect satire or anything. The last 10 minutes or so are just a little too cookie-cutter Hollywood, and some parts of the script and finished movie seem poorly constructed. Also, C. Thomas Howell did a fairly good job for having had to lead the cast, but "Soul Man" probably would've been even better if Tim Robbins played Mark, as was the original intention. Overall, an underrated movie that packages serious subject matter into alternately deft and puerile comedy, and that deserves more attention than it gets. ****
Rating:
Summary: Nice!
Review: I think the goal here is to focus on the love story. Rae Dawn Chong and C. Thomas Howell really do have a lot of chemistry if you just pay attention. Watch their eye contact and those nice little smiles! Of course the actual idea of someone pretending to be black is a little over the top...but at least he seemed to learn something valuable towards the end. They are cute together in the movie. Unfortunately, there are some who can't appreciate the fact that underneath it all, physically we all pretty much contain the same organs. African American people are rich in culture and heritage and hopefully one day, we can see the movie for what it is, a comedy. Look at the love, that's what really made me keep watching. They were just really cute and I guess I am kind of a romantic, so I would have liked to see more of them together! Give it a chance - you just might surprise yourself and laugh a little, enjoy it! Incidentally, James Earl Jones is wonderful as the Professor!
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious comedy!!!
Review: It is about time that Soul Man came out on DVD!!! This is an absolutely hysterical movie. Howell is really funny pretending to be black. I almost lost it when James Earl Jones was taking attendance and Howell responded to his name being called by saying "Right On." This is also a great social commentary. It illustrates how black people get handouts left and right by universities. Hopefully our country's law-makers will see this movie and end affirmative action.
Rating: 
Summary: Good idea, but loses track
Review: Soul Man has a very good premise. It's about a white guy who changes his skin color to get a scholarship and discovers that being black is not easy. But there are many times in this movie where they try to add humor that doesn't really have a place in the film. This movie would be better as a drama. Also, they never explain how Mark managed to get the scholarship without having any photo identification.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST-HAVE 80'S TEEN FLICK !
Review: Soul Man is one of the most entertaining 80's teen movies ever made. The soundtracks are good. YOU WON'T REGRET BUYING OR WATCHING THIS MOVIE...I GUARANTEE IT !
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