Soul Food (1997)

Every Sunday, the Joseph family gets together at Big Mama’s house to have dinner – daughters Teri, Bird, and Maxine, along with their husbands, Maxine’s son Ahmad, the Reverend, and Mama’s brother Pete, who never leaves his bedroom. But family can be complicated, and there’s drama everywhere: Ahmad’s father used to date Teri, Teri’s husband just quit his job as attorney to start a music career, Bird took out a loan from Teri to open a beauty shop, and now-distant cousin (and former exotic dancer) Faith is back in town. And then Big Mama, the glue holding them all together, has a major medical issue. Will the family break, unable to overcome the problems pushing them apart? Or will they see the bigger picture and stick with each other?

The studio debut from director George Tillman Jr. (Notorious, The Hate U Give) and shot in just 36 days, Soul Food is a tender but honest look at the dynamics of a Black family and the love, values, problems, worries, successes, and failures they share. Adding to the effort is a landmark soundtrack that’s a who’s-who of late ‘90s hip-hop and R&B, and an unbelievable ensemble cast featuring Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Irma P. Hall, Michael Beach, Gina Ravera, Mekhi Phifer and more.

Guests are invited to join us for a Franklin Street block party from 1-3pm to celebrate the beginning of the Black Love series’ third season. The FREE outdoor event will take over the block in front of Tampa Theatre with local, Black-owned food trucks and vendors, plus music, giveaways and more.