Synopsis
In a desperate attempt to change her life, Loretta -- a troubled single mother from a tough Chicago neighborhood -- is sent to spend a summer at her family's ancestral home in rural Mississippi.
Scores
Overall Score
37.8
Popularity Percentile (Year)
12.7%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
50.2%
Review Aggregate
72.5
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is largely positive, with 78% of 65 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize family-friendly, character-driven, gritty. Most critics frame the film as an effective delivery of its core style and intent.
family-friendlycharacter-drivengrittyemotionalvisually strikinghistoricalstylizedupliftingtragicchristmas
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfre Woodard | 1998 | $65,000 | $125,000 | (est) |
| Al Freeman, Jr. | 1998 | $40,000 | $77,000 | (est) |
| Esther Rolle | 1998 | $30,000 | $58,000 | (est) |
| Mary Alice | 1998 | $25,000 | $47,000 | (est) |
| Loretta Devine | 1998 | $21,000 | $41,000 | (est) |
| Wesley Snipes | 1998 | $19,000 | $36,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score76.0
RT critic review count72
Rotten Tomatoes audience score71.0
RT audience rating count1,000
IMDb rating6.9
IMDb votes1,964
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1998 | $5,672,903 | $10,917,728 |
| International | 1998 | N/A | N/A |
| Worldwide | 1998 | $5,672,903 | $10,917,728 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 1998 | $2,836,452 | $5,458,864 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 1998 | N/A | N/A |
| Digital Purchases ? | 1998 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 1998 | $10,374,000 | $19,965,177 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 1998 | $14,512,000 | $27,928,923 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 1998 | $1,361,497 | $2,620,255 |
| Total Revenues | 1998 | $29,083,948 | $55,973,218 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 1998 | $5,756,000 (est) | $11,077,651 (est) |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 1998 | $2,685,000 (est) | $5,167,390 (est) |
| Participations | 1998 | $1,163,000 | $2,238,240 |
| Residuals ? | 1998 | $1,898,000 | $3,652,777 |
| Interest & Overhead | 1998 | $1,151,200 | $2,215,530 |
| Total Expenses | 1998 | $12,653,200 | $24,351,588 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 1998 | $16,430,748 | $31,621,630 |
Similar Movies
| Poster | Movie | Year | Match | Overall | Est. Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Dark Knight | 2008 | Shared genres: 1 | 98.6 | $250,967,539 |
 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 2002 | Shared genres: 1 | 98.6 | $353,999,551 |
 | Top Gun: Maverick | 2022 | Shared genres: 1 | 98.4 | $468,504,264 |
 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | 2001 | Shared genres: 1 | 98.2 | $290,786,010 |
 | Saving Private Ryan | 1998 | Shared genres: 1 | 98.2 | $170,641,774 |