Aaron Loves Angela is a 1975 Soul Cinema Classic

Blaxploitation

Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...

 film written by Gerald Sanford and directed by Gordon Parks, Jr.

Gordon Parks, Jr.

Gordon Roger Parks, Jr. was an American film director best known for the film Super Fly.Parks was the son of Sally Alvis and late photographer and director Gordon Parks...

 This film stars Moses Gunn, Kevin Hooks

Kevin Hooks

Kevin Hooks is an American actor, and a television and film director; he is notable from his roles in Aaron Loves Angela and Sounder, but may be best known as Morris Thorpe from TV's The White Shadow....

 and Irene Cara

Irene Cara

Irene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...

.

Plot

Aaron Loves Angela is about two teenagers living in the slums of New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 who are deeply in love with each other. Angela (Irene Cara

Irene Cara

Irene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...

), who is Puerto Rican, falls in love with Aaron (Kevin Hooks

Kevin Hooks

Kevin Hooks is an American actor, and a television and film director; he is notable from his roles in Aaron Loves Angela and Sounder, but may be best known as Morris Thorpe from TV's The White Shadow....

), who is black. Their relationship is not approved by either of their parents. They both rebel against their parents' prejudices, but soon find out that their friends and neighbors share the same prejudices as their parents.

Cast

• Moses Gunn as Ike
• Kevin Hooks
  Kevin Hooks
  Kevin Hooks is an American actor, and a television and film director; he is notable from his roles in Aaron Loves Angela and Sounder, but may be best known as Morris Thorpe from TV's The White Shadow....
  
   as Aaron
• Irene Cara
  Irene Cara
  Irene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
  
   as Angela
• Robert Hooks
  Robert Hooks
  Robert Hooks is an American actor of films, television and stage. With a career as a producer and political activist to his credit, he is most recognizable to the public for his over 100 roles in films and television, as well as his political and civil rights activities...
  
   as Beau
• Ernestine Jackson as Cleo
• Leon Pinkney as Willie
• Wanda Velez as Carmen
• Lou Quinones as Mike
• Charles McGregor as Duke
• José Feliciano
  José Feliciano
  José Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...
  
   (cameo appearance)
• Walt Frazier
  Walt Frazier
  Walter "Clyde" Frazier is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He was blessed with a unique combination of court vision, quickness, and size for a guard...
  
   (cameo appearance)
• Andre La Corbiere as Ricardo
• Norman Evans
  Norman Evans
  Norman Evans , was a variety and radio artiste, born in Rochdale, Lancashire, England.Evans was discovered by fellow Rochdale entertainer Gracie Fields...
  
   as Security Cop
• Alex Stevens as Gino
• William Graeff Jr. as Tony

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by José Feliciano

José Feliciano

José Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...

 and Janna Marlyn Feliciano, recorded and performed on the José Feliciano Album "Angela" for Private Stock Records

Private Stock Records

Private Stock Records was a record label which was started in 1974 by Larry Uttal after he was ousted from Bell Records. The label had hit records with singles by David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame , Starbuck , Austin Roberts , Samantha Sang , Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band , and Frankie...

 (never released on CD).

1. "Angela" (performed by José Feliciano
   José Feliciano
   José Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...
   
   )
2. "Sweet Street" (performed by José Feliciano)
3. "I've Got Feeling" (performed by José Feliciano)
4. "Nirvana Part 1 & 2" (performed by José Feliciano)
5. "Why?" (performed by José Feliciano)
6. "Michaelangelo" (performed by José Feliciano)
7. "Salsa Negra" (performed by José Feliciano)
8. "As Long as I Have You" (performed by José Feliciano)

Not included on the album but in the movie were:

1. "What I Wanna Do" (performed by José Feliciano)
2. "Wilfull Strut"

(Both these songs were used as B-sides of the single, "Angela" in different territories)

• In Latin countries, the single "Angela" included the same song sung in Spanish on the B-side