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Down in the Delta is a 1998 American-Canadian drama film, directed by Maya Angelou in her sole film directorial effort and starring Alfre Woodard, Al Freeman, Jr., Esther Rolle (in her final film appearance before her death), Loretta Devine, and Wesley Snipes.

Down in the Delta
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Maya Angelou
Written by	Myron Goble
Produced by	Rick Rosenberg Bob Christiansen Victor McGauley Wesley Snipes
Starring	Alfre Woodard Al Freeman, Jr. Esther Rolle Mary Alice Loretta Devine Wesley Snipes
Cinematography	William Wages
Edited by	Nancy Richardson
Music by	Stanley Clarke
Distributed by	Miramax Films
Release dates	August 5, 1998 (1998-08-05) (Urbanworld Film Festival) September 17, 1998 (1998-09-17) (Toronto Film Festival) December 25, 1998 (1998-12-25) (U.S.)
Running time	112 minutes
Countries	United States Canada
Language	English
Box office	$5.6 million[1]

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) 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 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 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.[2] Nathan's son Jesse stole back the candelabra, which has since been passed through the generations, along with Nathan's story.

Cast

Music

The original soundtrack was released by Virgin Records.[3]

1. "Believe in Love" - Sunday (featuring Whitney Houston)
2. "God's Stepchild" - Janet Jackson
3. "Heaven Must Be Like This" - D'Angelo
4. "If Ever" - Stevie Wonder
5. "Where Would I Be" - The Leverts (Eddie, Gerald, and Sean)
6. "I'm Only Human" - Luther Vandross (featuring Cassandra Wilson and Bob James)
7. "Just A Little Luv" - Shawn Stockman
8. "We Belong Together" - Tony Thompson And Antoinette
9. "Don't Talk 2 Strangers" - Chaka Khan
10. "Let It Go" - Jazzyfatnastees featuring The Roots
11. "My Soul Don't Dream" - Meshell N'degeocello & Keb' Mo'
12. "Uh Uh Ooh Ooh Look Out Here It Comes" - Ashford & Simpson
13. "Don't Let Nuthin' Keep You Down" - Sounds of Blackness
14. "Family (Score)" - Stanley Clarke
15. "The Rain" - Tracie Spencer
16. "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.[1][4]

Critical response

On review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, Down in the Delta has an approval rating of 79% based on 24 critics' reviews.[5]

Alfre Woodard's work drew praise from San Francisco Chronicle 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...[h]er instincts for drama and humor provide a welcome dose of human reality, saving a script that veers toward the sentimental."[6]

In Variety, 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.[7][2]

Awards and nominations

• Acapulco Black Film Festival[8]
  • Best Film (nominated)
  • Best Director - Maya Angelou (nominated)
  • Best Actress - Alfre Woodard (nominated)
  • Best Soundtrack (nominated)
• Chicago International Film Festival[9]
  • Audience Choice for Best Feature - Maya Angelou (winner)
• Independent Spirit Awards[10]
  • Best Female Lead - Alfre Woodard (nominated)
• NAACP Image Awards[9][11]
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture - Alfre Woodard (nominated)
  • Outstanding Motion Picture (nominated)
• Prism Awards[12]
  • Theatrical Feature Film (winner)
• Young Artist Awards[13]
  • Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Actress Age Ten or Under - Kulani Hassen (nominated)

References

External links

• Down in the Delta at IMDb
• Down in the Delta at AllMovie
• Down in the Delta at Rotten Tomatoes

На других языках

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- [en] Down in the Delta

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[ru] Возвращение к истокам

Возвращение к истокам — американский кинофильм 1998 года с Элфри Вудард в главной роли. Это режиссёрский дебют для писательницы Майи Анжелу. В фильме также снимались Лоретта Дивайн, Эль Фриман-младший, Эстер Ролли, Мэри Элис и Уэсли Снайпс.

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