Soul Man (1986)

The underlying premise of this film raises significant concerns. It follows the story of a white individual aspiring to attend law school but facing financial constraints. His misguided solution involves darkening his skin to appear as a Black person, a deeply inappropriate action. The movie compounds this issue by continuing to perpetuate the offensive portrayal, magnifying its problematic nature. All of this took place during the 1980s, a period when society purportedly had a heightened awareness of such matters.

Despite the problematic content, the financial aspect of the film was remarkably successful. “Soul Man” managed to achieve substantial box office earnings, raking in $35 million on a relatively modest budget of $4.5 million. Regardless of whether audiences embraced or criticized it, it’s evident that people were willing to spend money to watch the movie.