Rosa Lynn Sinclair (Mary Alice) lives in a housing project in Chicago with her drug-addicted daughter Loretta (Alfre Woodard) and Loretta's kids, thirteen-year-old Thomas (Mpho Koaho) and two-year-old Tracy (Kulani Hassen), who is autistic. Because of the many bad influences surrounding them, Rosa sends the other three to spend the summer with her brother-in-law Earl (Al Freeman Jr.), who runs a chicken restaurant in rural Mississippi. Loretta works in the restaurant, and although she struggles with the work at first, she gradually adjusts and starts to rebuild her life.
Down in the Delta contains examples of:
- Baby's First Words: Tracy figures out how to say "bye-bye" about halfway through the movie. After that, she uses it for every situation.
- Disappeared Dad: Loretta's man took off after Tracy was born.
- Eyes Always Averted: Tracy screams if anyone looks her in the eye.
- Gene Hunting: Earl tells Loretta the story of Sinclair ancestor Jesse, who was born into slavery, and whose father was auctioned off when he was six. After the Civil War, he tried to track down his father, but never found so much as a clue. Eventually he gave up, started a new family, and dedicated himself to keeping that one together.
- Kiddie Kid: Tracy still sleeps in a crib, even though it's noted that she's too old for it.
- NEET: Rosa wants Loretta to find gainful employment, but nobody's hiring. Early in the movie she tries to get a job as a cashier, but she's rejected for her lack of mathematical ability, which would be a problem if the machines broke down.
- Scatterbrained Senior: Earl's wife Annie (Esther Rolle) has Alzheimer's. She no longer recognizes their son Will (Wesley Snipes), and thinks Loretta is her mother. Earl has hired a housekeeper named Zenia (Loretta Devine) to look after her while he's at work.
- Sell What You Love: A silver candelabra known as Nathan has been in the family ever since Jesse Sinclair stole it from his owners during the Civil War. Rosa sells Nathan to a pawn shop for $375 in order to buy bus tickets. Loretta has until September to make enough money to buy it back before it's melted down.
- Security Blanket: Annie has a doll that she carries everywhere, including in the hospital.
- Title Drop: Rosa tells Thomas, "Down in the Delta, there are great big fields to run and play in, and nobody's chasing after you but your own shadow."
