Always Outnumbered (1998)

A former prisoner tries to save a neighbor child from repeating of his way.

Director:

Michael Apted

Writers:

Walter Mosley (book), Walter Mosley (teleplay)

Stars:

Laurence Fishburne, Daniel Williams, Bill Cobbs

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laurence Fishburne	...	Socrates Fortlow
Daniel Williams	...	Darryl
Bill Cobbs	...	Right Burke
Natalie Cole	...	Iula Brown
Laurie Metcalf	...	Halley Grimes
Alan Wilder	...	Anton Crier
Cicely Tyson	...	Luvia
Bridgid Coulter	...	Corina M'Shalla
Bill Nunn	...	Howard M'Shalla
Isaiah Washington	...	Wilfred
Bill Duke	...	Blackbird Wills
Kevin Carroll	...	Pegus
Jamaal Carter	...	Phillip
John Toles-Bey	...	Stoney Wiley
Brooke Marie Bridges	...	Winnie M'Shalla

Storyline

In Los Angeles, the hot-tempered collector of cans Socrates "Socco" Fortlow is an ex-con that has served a long sentence for killing a man and a woman. Now he is trying to build a new life and find a job. However he is discriminated against his age, color and background. His only friend is Right Burke, who is dying of cancer. He also helps a young woman that is having problems with her husband. When Socco meets the boy Darryl, he finds that Darryl lives with a foster family that does not take care of him. Further, he has just witnessed the murder of another boy by a small-time criminal. Socco helps the boy to grow-up while helps Burke and tries to find work at a supermarket.

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Plot Keywords:

gang | cancer | los angeles california | employment discrimination | racism | 

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Taglines:

In every man's soul hides a hero.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, and some sexuality and violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Home Box Office (HBO), Palomar Pictures (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vonte Sweet starred with Laurence Fishborne in Boyz N The Hood (1991) and with Billy Duke in Menace II Society (1993).

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Quotes

Socrates Fortlow: You and your friends did wrong, Daryl. Now, I'm just talking to you, one black man to another, alright, 'cause, see, if you don't know when you've done wrong, life ain't worth a damn.

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Connections

Spin-off The Right Mistake

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Soundtracks

Play the Blues
Written by Byther Smith
Published by Happy Valley Music, BMI
Performed by Byther Smith
Courtesy of Rounder Records
By Arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group

User Reviews

A superior film with a meaningful message

This can be a tough video to find, but when I finally did it turned out to be well worth the effort. This is a great film, it rates right up with "Citizen X" as one of the best made for HBO movies. Laurence Fishburne is terrific as Socrates Fortlow, an ex-con living in inner L.A. and attempting to carve a new life for himself while just barely getting by. Fishburne gives the character real grit, anger, and pride, but most of all he shows us a man who is committed to living life honorably after making some very serious mistakes. You can feel the frustration of a man who is trying to live right in a world that is seldom fair, but he won't give in to the temptation to make an easy buck or to compromise his principles. The film is presented as a series of intertwining stories about the people in Fortlow's life, and the other actors in the film are superb - there is never a moment that doesn't feel real. The stories all have meaning - love, prejudice, empathy, sorrow, friendship, honor and death. It's not often that a film says this much without seeming to, and it's not often you see a film this moving. If your video store doesn't have it, be like Socrates and just keep coming back and protesting loudly until they do.