Treading — or rather, repeatedly stumbling across — a fine line between a satire on racism and actual racism, Soul Man feels woefully dated 20 years after its release. That said, it’s hard to see how it ever seemed like a good idea. Tonally awkward — Porky’s does Big Issues — this ‘comedy’ about a white student (C. Thomas Howell) OD-ing on tanning pills to win a black student’s scholarship cringes from one stereotype (penis-size!) to another (basketball prowess!), and, quite aside from the fact Howell makes the least convincing black guy ever, his eventual contrition feels hollow and forced — much like the laughs.
Soul Man Review
A white college student consumes a dangerous amount of tannig pills in order to obtain a scholarship for black students.
Release Date:
24 Oct 1986
Running Time:
104 minutes
Certificate:
15
Original Title:
Soul Man
The comedy was out of date before they even made this, no matter how much they try and twist the ending.
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