70
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Chicago ReaderLisa AlspectorChicago ReaderLisa AlspectorDirector George Tillman Jr.'s screenplay covers an array of events in the characters' lives so replete with drama it could easily be too much, but the movie's humor is vibrant, the sorrow unexploitive, the sexuality character enhancing, and the love heartfelt--and Tillman is tremendously skilled at bridging the vast shifts in tone.
- 90Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasHumor, sentiment and melodrama strike a balance as he brings to life nine major characters and a host of others as well.
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertGeorge Tillman says Soul Food is based in part on his own family, and I believe him, because he seems to know the characters so well; by the film's end, so do we.
- 80The New York TimesJanet MaslinThe New York TimesJanet MaslinThis new menu movie has a soapy plot, appealing stars, family values, down-home atmosphere and a conviction that there's rarely a problem fried chicken can't cure.
- 80L.A. WeeklyErnest HardyL.A. WeeklyErnest HardyBut if you go in knowing this, the payoff is considerable - the film delivers on its feel-good promise.
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliSoul Food stays a cut above the average melodrama by keeping the characters grounded and the situations from becoming too ripe.
- 75San Francisco ChroniclePeter StackSan Francisco ChroniclePeter StackThe result is a lovely wash of humanity, served with affection.
- 67Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumIn the tradition of such food-as-love films as "Eat Drink Man Woman" and "Big Night", kitchen work is idealized as a form of communion in this indulgently nostalgic story -- deep-fried with plot, script, and character cliches but honey glazed with goodwill...
- 60EmpireEmpireEchoes of "Waiting To Exhale" are obvious, but this is a more smiley affair altogether, with perhaps a spoonful too much sugar stirred in at times, and emotional development often mixed from the most basic of recipes.
- 40Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenWhat Soul Food lacks in narrative originality and flourish it nicely makes up for with wonderful performances by a large ensemble cast.