The Runaway (2000)

In a Dixie small-town, the late sheriff was quite content to preside over a truly segregated community. There the rich brothers, Harlan and Mason Davis, are lords. His successor, Word War ... See full summary »

Director:

Arthur Allan Seidelman

Writers:

Terry Kay (novel), Ron Raley (teleplay)

Stars:

Dean Cain, Pat Hingle, Debbi Morgan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dean Cain	...	Sheriff Frank Richards
Pat Hingle	...	Avery
Debbi Morgan	...	Reba Monroe
Kathryn Erbe	...	Evelyn Carnes
Cliff De Young	...	Harlan Davis
Roxanne Hart	...	Alice Davis
Cody Newton	...	Luke Winter
Duane McLaughlin	...	Sonny Monroe
Maya Angelou	...	Conjure Woman
Robinne Lee	...	Cecily Monroe
Kamali Minter	...	Remona Monroe
Afemo Omilami	...	Jule Monroe
Michael Harding	...	Hack Winter (as Mike Harding)
Robin O'Dell	...	Amy Winter
Brett Rice	...	Deputy Hugh

Storyline

In a Dixie small-town, the late sheriff was quite content to preside over a truly segregated community. There the rich brothers, Harlan and Mason Davis, are lords. His successor, Word War II veteran Frank Richards, has a more modern view on justice and equality, which doesn't help his social acceptance anywhere. He also has doubts about the mysterious masked 'peg-leg' to whom all murders where ascribed. Harlan is shot after an african-american boy threats him with a gun to stop his old-fashioned 'liberalities'. Frank and the prosecutor's retired dad, agree to act as defense council, investigate, cued by the boy's Caucasian playmate, Luke Winter, and turn both case and town around.

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Plot Keywords:

small town | south | segregation | raft | race relations | 

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Taglines:

Two boys in search of adventure uncover a secret that a town is sworn to hide... and a mystery that a sheriff vows to solve.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)

User Reviews

Sadly mediocre

With all the potent ingredients in this story, including racial conflict in the South just after WWII, this film was sadly bland, tepid, cautious, weak, likely fearful of offending anyone. I assume it was limited by the production company, as a more daring script might not have found a home on the network that ran it. But seriously, given the setting, not a single white person, even the obviously drunk and/or bigoted ones, ever uses the n-word? I dislike that word myself, but pretending that people in that time and place never used it rather hurts the credibility of a period piece. The actors did the best they could with their material, especially Ms Erbe. I'd love to see a more realistic version by either a bolder network or for theatrical release. Alas.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 December 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Runaway (#50.2)

Filming Locations:

Burgaw, North Carolina, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1