Certainly there's going to be no sympathy for the majority of characters outside of the Williams family. It's a hard road to life for everyone here, living in the rough Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, and a good majority of the younger characters have turned to the gangs and what little stability they can find from them. But it's not 100% black and white, and through the Williams family, this film version of the successful Broadway play finds its shades of gray. There's a loving marriage between painter and poet James Earl Jones and his wise wife, Cicely Tyson, proud of the fact that their son (Glynn Thurman) is coming home on leave from the air force, presumably on his way to officer's training school. But Thurman isn't exactly returning with the news that they want to hear, and Tyson gets news of her own that the family will have a hard time hearing as well.
Then there are the younger members of the community, old friends of Thurman's, planning violence for a race riot and wanting Thurman to join in with them. But as much as he appreciates their struggles and reasoning, he wants no part of that, and that results in him becoming their enemy. Already you have seen the shadiness of these characters when they stormed into the Williams home and refuse to leave, causing Jones to pull out a shotgun on them for their toxic behavior. One of the gang scores drugs for a junkie friend, then looks on him in disgust as the drugs take effect. Some very dramatic twists and turns involve the family with Thurman taking drastic action that won't have a pretty conclusion.
Fabulous supporting performances by Louis Gossett Jr. As the African born doctor friend of Jones who has diagnosed Tyson for cancer, Hilda Haynes as the wisecracking grandmother (pretending to sleepwalk so she can grab a sip of whiskey), Jonelle Allen as Thurman's girlfriend, and Roger E. Mosley and Charles Weldon as members of the local gang. Tyson has a fabulous monologue revealing her fate, and Jones gets a great breakdown sequence as he finds out about his wife's illness, coming out right after the disappointing news of his son's dismissal from the air force. The subject matter is very disturbing, but it goes past the usual dramatic situations in plays like this, with a moving poem recited by Jones using the title as a metaphor for everything going on.
Then there are the younger members of the community, old friends of Thurman's, planning violence for a race riot and wanting Thurman to join in with them. But as much as he appreciates their struggles and reasoning, he wants no part of that, and that results in him becoming their enemy. Already you have seen the shadiness of these characters when they stormed into the Williams home and refuse to leave, causing Jones to pull out a shotgun on them for their toxic behavior. One of the gang scores drugs for a junkie friend, then looks on him in disgust as the drugs take effect. Some very dramatic twists and turns involve the family with Thurman taking drastic action that won't have a pretty conclusion.
Fabulous supporting performances by Louis Gossett Jr. As the African born doctor friend of Jones who has diagnosed Tyson for cancer, Hilda Haynes as the wisecracking grandmother (pretending to sleepwalk so she can grab a sip of whiskey), Jonelle Allen as Thurman's girlfriend, and Roger E. Mosley and Charles Weldon as members of the local gang. Tyson has a fabulous monologue revealing her fate, and Jones gets a great breakdown sequence as he finds out about his wife's illness, coming out right after the disappointing news of his son's dismissal from the air force. The subject matter is very disturbing, but it goes past the usual dramatic situations in plays like this, with a moving poem recited by Jones using the title as a metaphor for everything going on.