Soul Man

Soul Man is a 1986 American comedy film, directed by Steve Miner, starring C. Thomas Howell, Rae Dawn Chong, Arye Gross, James Earl Jones, Leslie Nielsen, James B. Sikking and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

The song title refers to the 1967 Sam and Dave song "Soul Man."

Plot
Mark Watson (C. Thomas Howell) and his friend Gordon (Arye Gross) are looking forward going to Harvard for college, but when his father (James Sikking) tells him he won't be paying for school, Mark takes a large dose of tanning pills to make himself African-American in order to get a scholarship for Harvard.

Cast

 * C. Thomas Howell as Mark Watson
 * Rae Dawn Chong as Sarah Walker
 * Arye Gross as Gordon Bloomfeld
 * James Earl Jones as Professor Banks
 * Melora Hardin as Whitney Dunbar
 * Leslie Nielsen as Mr. Dunbar
 * Ann Walker as Mrs. Dunbar
 * James Sikking as Bill Watson
 * Max Wright as Dr. Aronson
 * Jeff Altman as Ray McGrady
 * Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Lisa Stimson

Production
The filming dates for "Soul Man" began on March 24, 1986.

The filming locations took place at Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts.

Controversy
"Soul Man" was widely criticized for featuring a Caucasian actor wearing blackface and when it was released, protests in the black community took place.

Box Office
Despite the controversy, "Soul Man" debuted at #3 at the box office, grossing $4,422,179 during its opening weekend, coming in behind Crocodile Dundee and The Color of Money.

Domestically, the film grossed $27,820,000.

Critical Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, "Soul Man" was given a 14% rating based on 22 reviews with an average rating of 3\10. Its audience score was 33% based on 2.6\5 ratings.

The film was given negative reviews by critics.

Roger Ebert gave the film one star, saying the film's main premise is "a generally interesting idea, filled with dramatic possibilities, but the movie approaches it on the level of a dim-witted sitcom".

The New York Times' Janet Maslin said that the film has a "breezy, unapologetic manner".

The Washington Post said, "Overall, "Soul Man" is virtually a beginner's guide of how not to direct a movie, from the way the music adds nothing to the mood or excitement, to the editing rhythms that leave huge holes for laughs where none are forthcoming, to the lugubrious pace and clumsy farce staging, and on and on".