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Plot

Music bridges a gap between two cultures in this made-for-TV drama. In 1957, Derek Sanders (Peter Scolari) is hired to teach music and direct the choir at Blanton Academy, a private school in South Carolina. Integration has not yet come to Blanton, and a number of students display an open hostility towards African-American in the community, most notably Taylor Bradshaw (Justin Whalin), one of the school bullies who makes no secret of his dislike of people of color. As Sanders tries to impress a more open-minded attitude upon the boys in his choir, he introduces a new vocalist to the group -- Landy Allen (Eugene Byrd), the teenaged son of Zeke (Moses Gunn), the school's black caretaker. Despite his initial enmity, Bradshaw strikes up a friendship with Allen based on their shared love for music, and as Allen teaches Bradshaw about the blues, he also finds himself learning about a people and a community he previously know almost nothing about. Noted folk-blues Richie Havens also appears in the film's supporting cast.
MPAA Rating:
Genre(s):
Drama
Run Time:
93min.
DVD Release Date:
02/03/2004
Director(s):
Will MacKenzie
Themes:
Race Relations,Teachers and Students
Tone:
Compassionate,Earnest,Gentle,Heartwarming,Poignant
Keywords:
Southerner,boys'-school,coming-of-age,cross-cultural-relations,friendship,music,prejudice,racial-tension,racism
Language:
English