Soul Food

And everything you've given me.

I always keep it inside.

You're the driving force in my life.

There isn't anything or anyone that I could be.

And it just wouldn't feel right.

If I didn't have you by my side.

Ooh, you were there for me.

To love and care for me.

When skies were gray.

Whenever I was down.

You were always there.

To comfort me.

No one else can be.

What you have been to me.

You will always be.

You will always be the girl in my life.

For all times.

Mama.

Mama, you know I love you.

You know I love you.

You know I love you.

Mama.

Mama, you're the queen of my heart.

You are.

Your love is like tears from the stars.

Your love is like tears from the stars.

Mama, I just want you to know.

Mama, I just want you to know.

Lovin' you is like food to my soul.

Lovin' you is like food to my soul.

You are the food to my soul.

My grandma always said...

'Family pullin' together in times of need makes you strong.'

This here's the story about my family, about our family...

...about the things that pulled us together...

...and things that tried to pull us apart.

Let's see. Where should I begin?

Give it up for the last Joseph sister to get married--.

Bird and Lem.

Aunt Bird's wedding is as good a place as any.

Everyone who was anyone was there.

Just the party people to the dance floor.

If you got more than $5.00, let me see you shake it.

We got food. We got music.

We got a party happening here.

There you go, Big Mama.

That's my mom and dad dancing.

They got two and a half kids-- me, my sister Kelly...

...and whoever that is in the oven.

That's Aunt Teri and Uncle Miles--.

Iike Miles Davis.

They're both lawyers and got big-time dough.

I'm talkin' dollar bills, y'all.

The bride is Big Mama's youngest, Aunt Robin.

We call her Bird 'cause she used to be skinny.

The groom is my new uncle, Lem.

Folks are always doggin' him 'cause he's done time in jail.

Go on, baby. Go pin it on her.

That's Big Mama there. Big Mama Joe.

People always said she never made one enemy in her life...

'cause if she did...

...she'd feed 'em her green beans, sweet potato pie...

...and Southern fried chicken...

...and they'd be down with her after that.

That's my baby.

Reverend Williams--...

...ain't even kin, but he's always got something to say or eat.

Mama Joe, how you doin'?

You lookin' so good.

Them daughters are looking good, too.

Especially that Lady Bird.

I was teasin' her. I said, 'Would you marry the Reverend?'.

She said, 'If I marry, I need sex every night.'

I said, 'Put me down for Tuesday.'

Got to change it up.

Something new.

Something new from the underground.

You just take my man. I'll see how you do.

And this is Simuel.

For Bird, he was one of the skeletons in the closet...

Big Mama said we all had.

All right.

Look who's here.

What's he doing?

I don't know.

Get out of my way.

Heh heh. Congratulations.

Would you look at this fool?

Lem wasn't doing any better...

...in the 'skeletons in the closet' category.

I'm going to get her. Come on, Teri.

That was him with his ex, bumpin' and grindin'.

Honey? -.

Who's Big Mama's favorite grandbaby?

I am.

What would my sweet pea do for Big Mama?

Anything.

Then go tell Aunt Bird to get her butt in here...

...with her new husband now.

Being Big Mama's favorite wasn't easy...

...especially when it came to keeping the peace.

But I always did what she asked...

...even if it meant charging into a bathroom...

...full of fine, half-dressed women.

Ahmad, what you want?

Yo, Bird. - What?

Big Mama said get your black ass out here.

Big Mama ain't told nobody to get nowhere.

Stay out of grown folks' business.

Can't believe what I saw. - Me either.

Who invited Simuel?

I didn't.

Doesn't matter. Why were you letting him feel you up?

Now your man's dancing with some Miss Hootchie Mama...

Iike there weren't no wedding 10 minutes ago.

Whose man? - Your man, girl.

Hell, no.

Nobody's disrespecting me on my wedding day.

That's what I mean.

Excuse me.

Did you see that dress Miss Thing had on?

Did you see her behind? - All up her butt.

That's what she get--...

...draggin' somebody in who ain't got nothin'...

...and puttin' him off on family.

Family? Puttin' him off on me. I paid for this wedding.

Teri, why do you always say how you pay for everything?

'Cause I do.

Who is that hootchie-cootchie mama...

...with her fat ass all over my husband?

I told you.

This is my wedding day. I'm supposed to be happy.

Shoot. We happy.

It's supposed to be the happiest day of your life.

Everybody's happy. - We're happy.

But we'd be more happy if we beat that ho' down.

Yeah. Come on.

Let's go get her ass.

She's workin' it on him. Do it. Do it.

Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me.

Excuse me.

Whoo. Shake it. Shake it. Shake it.

Go on, Big Mama.

You see, right there-- that was just like Big Mama.

Always knowin' how to set things right.

I used to think we had a special connection...

Iike we shared an inside joke no one else was in on.

Then I found out she had the same connection with all of us.

She was the rock of the Joseph family...

...the one that held us all together.

Reverend, that sure was a good sermon today.

One reason we were so tight...

...is 'cause we always had Sunday dinners at Big Mama's.

That were a tradition started down in Mississippi...

...when old folks met at church to talk smack...

...and chow down on some good old soul food.

Big Mama kept the tradition...

...when she and Granddaddy moved to Chicago.

Holidays, of course, were bigger.

More folks, more eats, more souls...

...more soul food.

People would be rolling in from all over.

Like Uncle Remus, always hittin' folks up 'cause he was broke.

Before Granddaddy died, he owned a barber shop...

...corner store, and a Laundromat.

Not bad for a black man in those days.

Rumor has it Mama Joe's got a big stash of loot hidden away.

Mama says that's a myth.

We used to always have eating contests...

...which the Reverend would always win.

He'd split after he busted slops with my mom and aunties.

I can still see my dad...

Iookin' like he wanted to break Reverend Williams' neck.

Last but not least, there's Big Mama's brother...

...old Uncle Pete...

...who ain't left his room in 10 years now.

Go. - Go.

Just sits up there, watching TV.

It's kind of a 'lights on, nobody's home' thing.

Let's go. - Let's get out of here.

Those were the good days, back before things took a turn.

Mama, Mama.

Uncle Pete's messing with us.

I'm tryin' to do my thing. Can I do my thing?

Hit me.

Take that.

Ooh. No, baby. That's too much.

Just put about four pinches in.

How you know how much to put in without using a measuring cup?

And why we got to eat ham hocks anyway?

Well.

I guess you.

Ham hocks, pig feet, chitlins...

We learn how to make things taste good by trying things out.

Soul food cookin' is about cooking from the heart.

That's right.

What's up, mama?

Newlyweds.

If she spent more time with her shop instead of Lem...

...maybe she'd pay me back that loan.