Soul Men
| Soul Men | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Malcolm D. Lee |
| Written by | Robert Ramsey Matthew Stone |
| Produced by | David T. Friendly Charles Castaldi Steve Greener |
| Starring | Samuel L. Jackson Bernie Mac Sharon Leal Sean Hayes Affion Crockett Adam Herschman John Legend |
| Narrated by | Randy Jackson |
| Cinematography | Matthew F. Leonetti |
| Edited by | William Henry Paul Millspaugh |
| Music by | Stanley Clarke |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | The Weinstein Company[1] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $40 million |
| Box office | $12.3 million[2] |
Soul Men is a 2008 American
Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes died in unrelated circumstances on August 9 and 10, 2008, respectively.[3] Director Lee said the film was heavily re-edited to soften the tone of the film, as a tribute to the two actors.
It is the last Weinstein Company film to be distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Plot
 | This article needs an improved plot summary. (December 2022) |
Soul band The Real Deal, which consisted of lead singer Marcus Hooks and backup singers Floyd Henderson and Louis Hinds, were popular back in their time. However, Marcus would eventually have a successful solo career. Meanwhile, former backup singers, Louis Hinds and Floyd Henderson, would also breakup after having a fallout and would have not spoken to each other in 30 years. Floyd, who recently retired and transferred his car dealership business to his nephew, was having difficulty adjusting to his new life. He received the news of the passing of Marcus. Louis, an ex-con who became an auto mechanic, was contacted by successful executive Danny Epstein. Danny asked Louis to perform at the
Cast
- Samuel L. Jackson as Louis Hinds
- Bernie Mac as Floyd Henderson
- Sharon Leal as Cleo Whitfield
- Affion Crockett as Lester Whitfield
- Fatso-Fasano as Bay-Bay
- Jackie Long as Zig-Zag
- Adam Herschman as Philip
- Sean Hayes as Danny Epstein
- John Legend as Marcus Hooks
- Jennifer Coolidge as Rosalee
- Isaac Hayes as himself
- Mike Epps as Duane Henderson
- Millie Jackson as Floyd's ex Claudette
- Sara Erikson as Chastity
- Vanessa del Rio as Full Figured Neighbor
- Randy Jackson as The Narrator (voice)
Production
Music
The score for the film was composed by
Reception
Soul Men received mixed reviews from film critics. Based on 100 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes reported that 45% of critics gave the film a positive review stating that "Soul Men features lively performances from Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson, and some hilarious moments, but ultimately suffers from an unoriginal script."[5] Metacritic, another review aggregator, reported that critics gave the film an average score of 49/100, based on 23 reviews.[6]
The film opened at #6 with $5,000,000 behind Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Changeling, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Role Models, and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (which, coincidentally, Mac was also in; both films are dedicated in his memory).[7] At the conclusion of its domestic theatrical run on February 5, 2009, the film's gross was $12,082,391.
Director Malcolm D. Lee said the movie was a failure because "nobody gave a shit about two old R&B singers."[8]
Lawsuit
In February 2009, singer Sam Moore of the musical duo Sam & Dave filed suit against The Weinstein Company and other producers. Moore alleged copyright infringement on the marks "Soul Man" and "Soul Men", claiming the movie is based on the careers of Sam & Dave who did not speak for years after a feud, and had a major hit with the 1967 song "Soul Man". The suit also claimed the film damaged Moore's reputation and career. The judge agreed there were "broad similarities" between Moore's life and the film's story, but also noted Moore was not named in the film and there no evidence the film was ever confused with reality. Thus, the case was dismissed on summary judgment in May 2012.[9]
Home media
The film was released on DVD on February 10, 2009 and by the 5th week, about 483,360 units have been sold, bringing in $9,443,721 in revenue. This does not include
References
- ^ a b c d "AFI|Catalog".
- ^ "Soul Men". Box Office Mojo.
- ^ "Isaac Hayes and Bernie Mac star in new film". NME.com. 2008-08-11.
- ^ "Soul Men". Amazon.com. 4 November 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- ^ "Soul Men Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
- ^ "Soul Men(2008):Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
- ^ "Weekend Box Office Results from 11/7 - 11/9". Box Office Mojo. 2008-11-09. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
- ^ "Malcolm D. Lee, director of the record-breaking Girls Trip, feels like he's still paying his dues". The California Sunday Magazine. 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
- ^ Gardner, Eriq (2012-05-29). "How the Weinsteins Beat 'Soul Man' Singer Sam Moore in an Important Lawsuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
- ^ "Soul Men". The Numbers. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
External links
- Soul Men at IMDb
- Soul Men at AllMovie
- Soul Men at Rotten Tomatoes
