In the Louisiana sugarcane fields, white farmer Beau Boutan is chasing a black man Charlie. Charlie seeks shelter at the home of Mathu (Louis Gossett Jr.) and Beau is shot to death. Candy Marshall (Holly Hunter) arrives to see Mathu with a shot gun. She gathers a group of black locals to defend Mathu and tries to claim the shooting for herself. Her family used to own the vast land. The local whites are mostly Cajuns who leased the land from Marshall. The group of elderly blacks start claiming the shooting for themselves. Lou Dimes (Will Patton) tries to talk Candy down. Sheriff Mapes (Richard Widmark) investigates the shooting with too many willing suspects. Beau's progressive brother Gilbert returns home from college urging caution but anger is rising.
I need the movie to start with a definitive year. The book is supposed to be set in the 70s. The lack of a date leaves me questioning whether it's 1987. The decade makes a big difference. The list of black actors is stacked. Louis Gossett Jr. isn't even the best. The best is probably Joe Seneca. The Cajun side needs better actors. They are mostly a bunch random white thugs. The story has potential but the tension is limited.
I need the movie to start with a definitive year. The book is supposed to be set in the 70s. The lack of a date leaves me questioning whether it's 1987. The decade makes a big difference. The list of black actors is stacked. Louis Gossett Jr. isn't even the best. The best is probably Joe Seneca. The Cajun side needs better actors. They are mostly a bunch random white thugs. The story has potential but the tension is limited.