| 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 Isaac 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 musical comedy film directed by Malcolm D. Lee, and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac, Sharon Leal and Sean Hayes, released on November 7, 2008. It was one of three Bernie Mac films that were released after his death (and was actually released on the same date as another posthumous film, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa).
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
Two former backup soul singers, Louis Hinds and Floyd Henderson, who have not spoken to each other in 30 years since their band ended, reluctantly agree to travel across the country together for a reunion concert to honor their recently deceased band member and lead singer, Marcus Hooks.
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 Stanley Clarke. The song, "I'm Your Puppet", which serves as the fictional trio's 1969 hit single, was actually a hit for James & Bobby Purify in 1966. The official soundtrack was released November 4, 2008 by Stax Records, and features music by John Legend, Isaac Hayes, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, and others.[4]
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]
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 Blu-ray Disc sales.[9]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "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.
- ↑ "Soul Men". The Numbers. Retrieved 2008-11-09.