Sounder (1972)

The son of a family of black sharecroppers comes of age in the Depression-era South after his father is imprisoned for stealing food.

Director:

Martin Ritt

Writers:

Lonne Elder III (screenplay), William H. Armstrong (novel)

Stars:

Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cicely Tyson	...	Rebecca Morgan
Paul Winfield	...	Nathan Lee Morgan
Kevin Hooks	...	David Lee Morgan
Carmen Mathews	...	Mrs. Boatwright
Taj Mahal	...	Ike
James Best	...	Sheriff Young
Eric Hooks	...	Earl Morgan
Yvonne Jarrell	...	Josie Mae Morgan
Sylvia Kuumba Williams	...	Harriet (as Sylvia 'Kuumba' Williams)
Teddy Airhart	...	Mr. Perkins (as Ted Airhart)
Richard Durham	...	Perkins' Foreman
Wendell Brumfield	...	Deputy #1
Al Bankston	...	Deputy #2
Myrl Sharkey	...	Teacher (as Merle Sharkey)
Inez Durham	...	Court Clerk

Storyline

The Morgans, a loving and strong family of Black sharecroppers in Louisiana in 1933, face a serious family crisis when the husband and father, Nathan Lee Morgan, is convicted of a petty crime and sent to a prison camp. After some weeks or months, the wife and mother, Rebecca Morgan, sends the oldest son, who is about 11 years old, to visit his father at the camp. The trip becomes something of an odyssey for the boy. During the journey he stays a little while with a dedicated Black schoolteacher.

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Plot Keywords:

sharecropper | boy | prison | stealing | food | 

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 May 1973 (France)

Also Known As:

Csibész

Filming Locations:

Clinton, Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Radnitz/Mattel Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 2003, ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney produced a new TV version of Sounder. Kevin Hooks directed, and Paul Winfield played the teacher. (It was one of Winfield's last roles before his death in 2004.)

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Goofs

When embracing at the reunion, Earl's hands change position.

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Connections

Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.21 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Needed Time"
Written by Taj Mahal
Sung by Lightnin Hopkins

User Reviews

Beautiful film with great heart

Director Martin Ritt and the cast and crew of this movie have left a great legacy in this simple but moving story of a family's love for one another in the face of great adversity. The family does not succumb to bitterness or hatred but they persevere with hope and great faith in what they can overcome. The story: during the Depression, a family breadwinner is arrested and sent to a year's hard labour for a minor misdemeanour. I saw this movie almost 40 years ago and it made a deep impression. Almost everyone I spoke to who saw it admired it and the reviews were excellent but for some reason, it has been forgotten. I saw the movie again on Martin Luther King Day and rediscovered a story with great universal appeal. The blue skies and the green forests of Louisiana enhance the beauty of this classic film. Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield are the stars of the film along with Kevin Hooks as the eldest son. The music is stark with the lyrics of a spiritual and the strumming of a stringed instrument. We witness the cruelty of a heartless town and the courage of a friend who is moved to help. In the end, wounded and battered, the family carry on with great love and respect for one another. This is a great family film for the values it shows and a testimony to the courage of many African American people.