DOWN IN THE DELTA - DVD

Details

• Release Year: 1998
• Genre: Drama
• Plot: Poet Maya Angelou made her feature directorial debut with this African-American family drama, shown theatrically but originally produced for the Showtime cable network. Unemployed single mother Loretta (Alfre Woodward) lives with her mother, Rosa Lynn (Mary Alice), in a Chicago apartment. Drugs and alcohol lead Loretta to neglect her autistic daughter, Tracy (Kulani Hassen). Her teen son Thomas (Mpho Koaho) brings in money by photographing tourists. Rosa Lynn pawns a family heirloom in order to send Loretta and the kids off to their Mississippi Delta hometown where Loretta's Uncle Earl (Al Freeman Jr.) runs his diner. Earl lives in a dry county, so Loretta is reluctant. However, she has no choice after Rosa Lynn threatens to contact child-welfare authorities if she doesn't go. Earl takes in the trio even though he already has enough problems with Annie (Esther Rolle), an Alzheimer's victim under the supervision of caregiver Zenia (Loretta Devine). Toronto locations substitute for Mississippi. Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival.;
• Cast: Alfre Woodard, Al Freeman Jr., Esther Rolle, Mary Alice, Loretta Devine, Anne-Marie Johnson, Mpho Koaho, Justin Lord, Wesley Snipes, Kulani Hassen, Richard Yearwood, Sandra Caldwell, Colleen Williams, Richard Blackburn, Philip Akin, Mary Fallick, Sandi Ross, Barbara Barnes-Hopkins, Marium Carvell, Quancetia Hamilton, Kim Roberts, DeFoy Glenn, Jeff Jones, Michelyn Emelle, Johnie Chase, Andrea Lewis, Nigel Shawn Williams, Bernard Browne, Alison Sealy-Smith, Eugene Clark, Chris Benson, Carol Anderson, Neville Edwards, Yanna McIntosh, Troy Seivwright-Adams, Kevin Duhaney, Joel Gordon, Phillip Jarrett, Clinton Green, Maya Angelou
• Director: Maya Angelou
• Runtime: 1:52
• Company: Miramax Films
• Media Format: Movie