Down in the Delta (1998)

Frustrated by a lack of opportunity, Loretta (Academy Award nominee Alfre Woodard) self-destructs while struggling to find meaning in the asphalt jungle of Chicago, often leaving her loving mother Rosa Lynn to care for her two children. An exasperated Rosa Lynn masterminds a holistic intervention and ships her daughter out to live with Rosa's successful brother (Al Freeman Jr.) in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, hoping her daughter will find fulfillment under his mentorship while reconnecting to their charged southern heritage through the story of a particularly inspiring ancestor. Maya Angelou crafts an endearingly poetic family portrait in what was regrettably her only film. DOWN IN THE DELTA ranks as one of the unsung gems of 1990s independent filmmaking. Featuring Loretta Devine (WAITING TO EXHALE), Esther Rolle (from TV's legendary series GOOD TIMES) in her final film appearance, and Wesley Snipes - who also produced.