''Down in the Delta'' is a 1998 American-Canadian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

, directed by

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...

in her sole film directorial effort and starring

Alfre Woodard Alfre Woodard (; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including four Primetime Emmy Awards (tying the record for the most acting Emmys won by an African-American performer, along with Regina King), ...

Al Freeman, Jr. Albert Cornelius Freeman Jr. (March 21, 1934 – August 9, 2012) was an American actor, director, and educator. A life member of The Actors Studio, Freeman appeared in a wide variety of plays, ranging from Leroi Jones' ''Slave/Toilet'' to Joe Pa ...

, Esther Rolle (in her final film appearance before her death),

Loretta Devine Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and voice actor. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of '' Dreamg ...

, and

Wesley Snipes Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist. His prominent film roles include '' Major League'' (1989), ''New Jack City'' (1991), '' White Men Can't Jump'' (1992), '' Passenger 57'' (1992), '' ...

Plot

Rosa Lynn Sinclair, an elderly woman, lives in a Chicago housing project with her daughter Loretta and her two grandchildren, four-year-old Tracy (who is

autistic The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

) and thirteen–year-old Thomas. Disappointed in Loretta's life choices and afraid of the troubled circumstances surrounding her grandson Thomas, Rosa Lynn decides to send her daughter and grandchildren to visit with her brother-in-law in

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

for the summer. Loretta, a drug addict, declines to go, especially since her uncle Earl lives in the dry and rural part of Mississippi and already juggles his business and a wife, Annie, who has

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As ...

and is being cared for by a housekeeper. Before they depart, Rosa Lynn pawns a silver candelabra, a family heirloom they refer to as "Nathan", the name of their slave ancestor. Exiting the pawn shop, Loretta throws the pawn ticket in a wastebasket, but then retrieves it, intending to redeem Nathan later for drugs. Earl, a wise man of few words, welcomes the trio to rural Mississippi. Earl puts Loretta to work in his chicken joint, Just Chicken, where she initially has trouble handling the work and the demands of a schedule. Eventually, however, the family begin to find strength in their roots, and start to rebuild their lives, with Thomas teaching Loretta enough arithmetic to be able to waitress and thus make more in tips, Loretta becoming friendly with a nice local customer named Carl (Nigel Shawn Williams), and Tracy actually saying her first words. While a few calamities ensue, one involving Earl teaching Thomas about guns and the other when Annie wanders outside unsupervised, by the end of the summer the initially sullen Loretta decides to stay on and make her life in the delta. In the final scene, Earl reveals that Loretta's great-great-grandfather, a slave named Nathan, was traded for the silver candelabra. Nathan's son Jesse stole back the candelabra, which has since been passed through the generations, along with Nathan's story.

Cast

as Loretta Sinclair * Al Freeman Jr. as Earl Sinclair * Esther Rolle as Annie Sinclair * Mary Alice as Rosa Lynn Sinclair *

as Zenia *

as Will Sinclair * Anne-Marie Johnson as Monica Sinclair *

Mpho Koaho Mpho Koaho () is a Canadian actor. He portrayed Anthony on the TNT science fiction series ''Falling Skies'' (2011–2015) and was also a series regular on the Teletoon action adventure ''MetaJets'' (2011) and the BBC America science fiction com ...

as Thomas Sinclair * Justin Lord as Dr. Rainey * Kulani Hassen as Tracy Sinclair * Sandra Caldwell as Volunteer * Colleen Williams as Tourist Woman * Richard Blackburn as Tourist Man *

Philip Akin Philip Akin (born April 18, 1950) is a Canadian actor. Akin has had roles in major American films such as '' The Sum of All Fears'', '' S.W.A.T.'', and '' Get Rich or Die Tryin. He has also done much voice work, including voicing the characte ...

as Manager * Mary Fallick as Drug Addict * Sandi Ross as Pawnbroker * Barbara Barnes-Hopkins as Prim Woman *

Richard Yearwood Richard Yearwood is a British-Canadian actor, television host, director and producer, who is best known for providing the voice of Donkey Kong in '' Donkey Kong Country''. Career Yearwood began his acting career in 1980, in the television ser ...

as Marco * Troy Seivwright-Adams as Collin * Kevin Duhaney as Justin

Music

The original soundtrack was released by

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a world ...

. # "Believe in Love" - Sunday (featuring

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

) # "God's Stepchild" -

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

# "Heaven Must Be Like This" -

D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...

# "If Ever" -

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...

# "Where Would I Be" - The Leverts ( Eddie, Gerald, and

Sean Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán ( anglicized as '' Shaun/Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan ( Ulster variant; a ...

) # "I'm Only Human" -

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

(featuring Cassandra Wilson and Bob James) # "Just A Little Luv" - Shawn Stockman # "We Belong Together" - Tony Thompson And Antoinette # " Don't Talk 2 Strangers" -

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Q ...

# "Let It Go" - Jazzyfatnastees featuring

The Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...

# "My Soul Don't Dream" - Meshell N'degeocello & Keb' Mo' # "Uh Uh Ooh Ooh Look Out Here It Comes" - Ashford & Simpson # "Don't Let Nuthin' Keep You Down" - Sounds of Blackness # "Family (Score)" - Stanley Clarke # "The Rain" - Tracie Spencer # "Patchwork Quilt" - Sweet Honey in the Rock

Reception

Box office

The film was successful on limited release, grossing $2,497,557 on its first week of release.

Critical response

On review aggregate site

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, ''Down in the Delta'' has an approval rating of 77% based on 73 critics' reviews. The consensus states: "Although director Maya Angelou is done few favors by a screenplay drawn in broad strokes, ''Down in the Delta'' offers some fine performances and a heartfelt message."

's work drew praise from ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...

'' reviewer Peter Stack, who lauded her for "a beautifully layered performance...Woodard is magical as a single mother haunted by drugs, alcohol and an inadequate education. She almost single-handedly shores up this somewhat simplistic movie... r instincts for drama and humor provide a welcome dose of human reality, saving a script that veers toward the sentimental." In ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', Joe Leydon wrote, "Throughout ''Down in the Delta'', Angelou and Goble emphasize simple truths and intelligent optimism", and that the film "places great stock in the strength of family ties and the soul-enhancing value of returning to roots" without crossing into

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...

Awards and nominations

* Acapulco Black Film Festival ** Best Film (nominated) ** Best Director -

(nominated) ** Best Actress -

(nominated) ** Best Soundtrack (nominated) *

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

** Audience Choice for Best Feature - Maya Angelou (winner) *

Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic gla ...

** Best Female Lead - Alfre Woodard (nominated) *

NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

** Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture - Alfre Woodard (nominated) ** Outstanding Motion Picture (nominated) * Prism Awards ** Theatrical Feature Film (winner) *

Young Artist Awards The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

** Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Actress Age Ten or Under - Kulani Hassen (nominated)

References

External links

* * * {{Maya Angelou 1998 films 1998 drama films 1998 independent films African-American drama films Canadian drama films English-language Canadian films Films produced by Wesley Snipes Films scored by Stanley Clarke Films set in Chicago Films set in Mississippi Films shot in Toronto Films directed by Maya Angelou 1998 directorial debut films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films 1990s Canadian films Films about disability