Soul Man
“He didn't give up, he got down.”
Synopsis
A white prospective grad student's affluent family won't pay his way through law school, so he takes tanning pills to darken his skin in order to qualify for an African-American scholarship at Harvard. He soon gets more than he bargained for, as he begins to learn what life is really like for blacks in America.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Soul Man - C. Thomas Howell - Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2012-01-25
Top Cast
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C. Thomas Howell
Mark Watson
Rae Dawn Chong
Sarah Walker
Arye Gross
Gordon Bloomfeld
James Earl Jones
Professor Banks
Melora Hardin
Whitney Dunbar
Leslie Nielsen
Mr. Dunbar
Ann Walker
Mrs. Dunbar
James B. Sikking
Bill Watson
Max Wright
Dr. Aronson
Jeff Altman
Ray McGrady
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Lisa Stimson
Maree Cheatham
Dorothy Watson
Wallace Langham
Barky Brewer
Eric Schiff
Booey Fraser
Ron Reagan
Frank
Mark Neely
Brad Small
David Reynolds
Ernie
Wolfe Perry
Leon
Release History & Theatrical Window
October 24, 1986
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$4.5M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$35M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
7.78x
+$30.5M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Steve Miner
- Screenplay & Story
- Carol Black
- Original Score
- Tom Scott
- Original Title
- Soul Man
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 44m
- Production Budget
- $4.5M
- Worldwide Gross
- $35M
- Production Studios
- The Steve Tisch Company
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Steve Miner
Carol Black
Tom Scott
Jeffrey Jur
David Finfer
Steve Tisch
Department Leadership Roster
Carol Black
Screenplay
Jeffrey Jur
Director of Photography
David Finfer
Editor
Steve Tisch
Producer
Steve Miner
Director
Tom Scott
Original Music Composer
Sharon Simonaire
Costume Design
Chris Howell
Stunt Coordinator
Gregg Fonseca
Production Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.
Suitable only for 12 years and over.
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Soul Man.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Soul Man.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Soul Man
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Soul Man about?
A white prospective grad student's affluent family won't pay his way through law school, so he takes tanning pills to darken his skin in order to qualify for an African-American scholarship at Harvard. He soon gets more than he bargained for, as he begins to learn what life is really like for blacks in America.
Who directed Soul Man?
Soul Man was directed by Steve Miner.
Who stars in Soul Man?
The principal cast of Soul Man includes C. Thomas Howell, Rae Dawn Chong, Arye Gross, James Earl Jones, Melora Hardin.
When was Soul Man released and how long is it?
Soul Man was released in 1986 with a total runtime of 1h 44m.
What was the box office and production budget of Soul Man?
Soul Man had a reported production budget of $4.5M and grossed $35M at the worldwide box office (7.78 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Soul Man?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Soul Man was composed by Tom Scott.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Soul Man?
Soul Man holds official age classifications: DE: 6 (FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.); FR: TP; GB: 12 (Suitable only for 12 years and over.); US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).