Cult Classics: SOUL FOOD with Vivica A. Fox and Brandon Hammond

Thanksgiving holiday just breezed on by and it’s already the second week of December. Just as time seems to flying by so does all of the events! A couple of weeks ago, Squeedar was invited to attend a local screening event. At the Miracle Theater in Inglewood, devoted fans have been hosting cult cinema screenings of essential movies to the Black community. For this event, it was to honor the classic, SOUL FOOD from 1992.

It was with complete intent that this movie was screened during the Thanksgiving holiday. Watching SOUL FOOD is synonymous with dinners, as the central characters in the movie are bonded to their commitment to family dinners. The bond of family extended beyond the screen and interwoven into the tradition of large turkey dinners surrounded by family and friends.

SOUL FOOD (1992) was the pioneer is dramedies with a centrally cast black American family. Directed by George Tillman Jr., it was movie of not just family but also everything that comes with it: loss, betrayal, envy, and strength. Viewers were introduced to Sunday dinners where Big Mama cooked a large dinner for the family of three sisters, their husbands, and children. Then a tragedy befalls the family and it truly tests the strength of the family bonds within.

Complete transparency, this was my first viewing. The theatrical release of the movie was beyond my age and there was little exposure to the movie when it played on television (especially since it was usually aired on cable television or late at night). SOUL FOOD (1992) was one of the those movies that have been heard off, know of, but has not seen, The only information I knew of the film was that it involved food and family.

Vivica A. Fox (“Maxine”) during Q&A (Photo by Tonith Photography)

To experience this movie for the first time surrounded by devoted fans was such a meaningful experience. It was a room of strangers and remained so after the screening but there was a deep connection between during and after the movie. It was an unmistakable air of complete adoration for the film. Once the credits rolled, it was very clear to see why SOUL FOOD (1992) is considered a classic. It is a film that embodies so much drama and heart that the viewer instantly connects to the family on screen. They can see themselves or knows someone just like the characters. It was a film that showcased a family that in a scope away from gang violence or death. It was a movie about family, short and simple.

To help honor the timelessness of the film, the audience was treated to a Q&A featuring two of the stars from the film: Vivica A Fox ( who played “Maxine”) and Brandon Hammond (who played “Ahmad”). The two played mother and son on SOUL FOOD and that bond remained strong years later.

In a Q& A that felt too personal to air out publicly, Brandon and Vivica poured their hearts and shared their stories to the audience. It wasn’t a Q&A, it was an experience to hear the stories and words of encouragement from Fox and Hammond.

Q&A segment (Photo by Tonith Photography)

Hammond was forthright in clearing away the mystery of why he disappeared from acting after SOUL FOOD. Due to a medical condition, he spent much of his time in hospitals. Years of pain and tears kept him from the spotlight. He shared stories of how his fictional family in SOUL FOOD became his real members as they provided support during his journey. Not a dry eye in that theater.

Fox and Hammond did announce during their Q&A that they are actively working on distributing a documentary on SOUL FOOD. It would be a documentary of the casts experience during filming, the reaction from the public, and Hammonds medical detour.

Even thirty years later, SOUL FOOD (1992) is a movie that still invites everyone and anyone to the dinner table. If its to return to the nostalgia or viewing it with fresh eyes, everyone is welcome. Welcome to the warmth that basking in a the family dynamic for a couple of hours.