Nightjohn (1996 TV Movie) User Reviews

A engrossing film with solid characters.

[kapinosp · 8/10 · 26 September 2004]

I found NightJohn's story and characters interesting. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the film, I didn't think I was going to a Hallmark film, but I gave it an 8. I am usually attracted to tough, headstrong characters and John is definitely in that category. John, a slave, defied the master as well as convincing his fellow slaves of the importance of knowledge, in a world that relies on ignorance to survive. The little girl was also a strong, believable character, as was the rest of the cast.

Beau Bridges did a fine job as the cold-hearted plantation owner, as well as all the other actors in the film. Burnett did a great job presenting the story with a right amount of realism and sentimentality, where many films fail, making them too sappy.

I gave it an 8 out of 10. NightJohn reminded me of The Color Purple, it had a similar style and mood. I was engrossed by the film up until the conclusion where the film became a little too unbelievable. If you loved The Color Purple, I recommend NightJohn.

A girl named Sarny gets a education throughout the movie

[nickolas-stein · 8/10 · 29 September 2014]

Movie response To Night John

The movie "NightJohn" I thought was a pretty good movie in my opinion. I thought this because of all of the things they used like the props/clothing, the whips and etc… I also think that using a girl that is a child still to be learning this made it a little more interesting instead of "NightJohn" teaching another adult male or adult just in general. I also think that what NightJohn did in this movie was pretty heroic, but the fact that he did not come back after he left was a little disappointing.

The way the characters dressed and such in this movie was more believable than having a guy in a tuxedo doing the fieldwork, so for the clothing part's and what they chose was good. For an example of how the book is different from the movie, NightJohn came into the plantation in the book completely naked, and in the movie he came in with a cloth around his waist For the power of the white people they would wear a little more fancier/ more expensive clothing to separate them besides their skin color. Waller was not the only white guy wearing fancy clothing, his wife and many other white people wore the more expensive clothing too. Another thing I liked about this movie was the acting by Sarny, because for her age she did a amazing job of acting like she did not know how to read, and write at first but then as Night John progressively taught her more and more you could tell the difference in the way she talked and how easy it was for her to understand things.

While comparing the movie "NightJohn" to the book it was based on NightJohn, the movie really was not all that good because they don't even make sense or connect at certain parts of the movie. One example that the book is different from the movie is, When Waller has the cotton field ready to be harvested, he has everyone work really hard even his own family and he even worked in the movie, and he was even telling the slaves that he was going to have a party for everyone. The book had nothing like that in their and Waller in the book would never throw a party for them just like that. That is one of the reason's people will not like the movie if they have already read the book because some things in the movie just do not make much sense, and are not even close to the book at some parts. I also compared the book and movie because they are like two different things, and if you are going to watch the movie or read the book. Then make sure you try and not to compare them because they make either one or the other look bad depending on which one you watched or read first.These are some of the things that I have enjoyed in the movie Night John like the acting, props, and outfits for each type of person wealthy or slave, and I just thought it was mainly an overall good movie.

If you have any affection for the printed word, this is a movie to cherish.

[Sleepy-17 · 8 May 2000]

A hymn to learning and determination, "Nightjohn" is also a thoughtful and moving film about slavery, perhaps the best I've seen. All the actors are superb, the script is winning, the insight into human relations cuts deep. Charles Burnett is one of our best unknown directors, and the fact that he can turn out a film like "Nightjohn" for Hallmark/Disney should indicate to those in power in Hollywood that more of his work should end up on the big screen. Great stuff!

So what if it doesn't follow the book

[helenkaannies · 10/10 · 29 November 2020]

Many of the poor reviews were because it didn't follow the book. I haven't read the book (and am not planning to) but it stands alone as a good movie.

My review of night john

[Austin-wroblewski · 9/10 · 29 September 2014]

The movie was really good. I would rate it a 4 star movie. I like the movie because it shows how things happen. The movie was from everyone point of view. The book was only from Sarny's point of view. In the movie everyone worked together and Waller even helped pick the fields. He was nice to them, but in the book he was rude to them the whole time. In the book they couldn't have any religion and in the movie they had to go to church and I like that because that's important. The one thing I didn't like was that in the book John ran away and came back. In the movie he got sold and they never seen him again. I like that Sarny stuck up for everyone in church cause she figured out how to read, and she everyone how much their worth. That's why I like the movie and why I gave it 4 stars.

African American girl learns to read

[dillon-kibbie · 2/10 · 29 September 2014]

I give the movie 2 stars because I didn't like it. It is not based on the book at all. Slaves didn't have parties once the crop got harvested like in the movie. Clel Waller wouldn't be working along with them as he did in the movie. In the movie they didn't cut off Nightjohn's toes as the did in the book. They cut off his fingers and they sold him, In the book he ran. They changed Pawley's name to Outlaw that was never in the book. "Outlaw" got married to another slave then Outlaw and his wife ran to the north and they got away which never happened, in the book he dies. Waller solid Sarny and that never happened in the book. The book is by far better than the movie. don't wast your time watching the movie.

Night John

[maraya-sondag · 3/10 · 29 September 2014]

I didn't like the movie Night john. It didn't go with the plot line of the book. They added a lot of things in the movie that weren't true for that time period. Waller wasn't nice to his slaves in the book ,but in the movie Mr Waller was. For example Sarney didn't get in trouble for looking at the book. Another example is Mr Waller cut off Johns toes in the movie and in the book it was his fingers. It seemed like the slave owners didn't want kids to see how slaves were really treated back then. I don't recommend this movie Night John if you are watching it for fun but, If you are showing your classroom then, It would be a good lesson to read the book and show the movie because the book and movie are so much different to each other.

So-So

[Shannon-32 · 31 May 2004]

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

This film demonstrates the importance of literacy, especially among the slave population in the South just before the Civil War. In order to be aware of their surroundings, literacy was valued by slaves. I had to see this for my history of childhood course last semester. Needless to say, this film could have been better.

The only actor I could recognize in the film was Jeff Bridges, everyone else was unknown to me but they did a pretty good job in the movie. Still, the movie could be better since it lacked a good musical score, good cinematography, etc. but what can you expect from a made-for-TV film?

This movie is horrible

[katelyn-eberling · 1/10 · 29 September 2014]

I didn't like the movie. One of the reasons I don't like the movie because of the ending where Sarny gets sold off and John lost his finger when in the book John lost his two middle toes. Also because they couldn't have religion, but in the movie they went to church. It didn't tell Jim's and Alice's stories because it's very gruesome in the book, because the book tells it how it was back then during slavery. It didn't talk about Sarny's birth in the book but did in the movie. Waller was really mean in the book but he was nicer in the movie. I wouldn't recommend the movie if you read the book first because the movie is different from the book.

Spoilers are included

[August-Gilbert · 2/10 · 29 September 2014]

Night John Movie Review

I have recently partaken in watching the film night john. For my generalization of literature class. I would rate this production a 2 star. Due to the poor acting and not following the original story more adequately. Bill Cain tried to execute this production to be more family friendly. However he may have went too far and cut too much of the original storyline out. changes are excellent in my opinion. For example when the doctor gives Sarny her pennies back. The scene was very heart warming. Also when the doctor takes the blame for sarny when she gets caught reading and telling all the other slaves what they were worth. I did however dislike the fact that Waller threw a party for the slaves. In the book Waller would never do such a thing. Another would be Waller's boys working in the fields with the blacks. First off Waller did not have any kids in the book. Also whites would not work alongside blacks in the south during the 1800's. I hated how in the movie the slaves were able to go to church and sing the songs. FYI how would the slaves be able to sing the songs if they can't comprehend the words to begin with. In the book the slaves were not able to go to church or even believe in god. The whites thought it was there god. That the blacks were not worthy of being able to worship their god. The slaves had to pray into a bowl so that no one would see them praying. If they were caught praying or anything religion based then it was a lashing. Religion and praying for a higher power brings hope and Waller did not want the slaves to have hope. Sarny and the other slaves could try to plan an escape plan. Then Waller would be out however much the slaves were bought for. I would not recommend this movie. The story was too far separated from the original piece of work the book night John written by Gary Paulsen. I would highly recommend the book over the film. Anyone who's going to watch the movie should read the book first. There for they can see what Paulson intended the story to be like? So read the book before watching the film and you will see were I am coming from.

This movie is horrible

[marilynlubbock · 1/10 · 29 September 2014]

I give this book two stars because I like the movie but then again I didn't because of they way it doesn't follow the book. Some things I didn't like about the movie is when Waller worked with the African Americans but the book just made the African Americans work harder. The blacks couldn't have religion but in the movie they were in church singing. John got his thumb cut off for teaching but in the book he got his two toes cut off. I hate how John and Sarny got sold but in the book John ran away after two days of his toes getting cut off and then came back for Sarny to go to school. I would of loved to see John come back and Sarny go to school. A couple things I liked about the movie is how it showed how the slaves were poorly treated and also how they kind of fix or healed the peoples backs after they got whipped. I wouldn't recommend this movie if you read the book first.

Slave girl learns to read.

[anthony-dickerson · 5/10 · 29 September 2014]

I thought the movie was decent for various reasons. One of the reasons why I didn't liked was from major differences from the book, like NightJohn stopped teaching Sarny. Another is Sarny was working inside the house when in the book that never happened. But the main reason why I didn't like it was the whites and blacks working together in the cotton field, which would have never happened. The last reason is how they changed the ending. Sarny being sold didn't happen in the book like it did the movie. That's what I didn't like in the movie.

Although there are some things I did like in the movie. First off I liked the add in of the little Waller boy. I thought the kid was pretty funny. Another is the actor of NightJohn. Because of reading the book I had a picture of him in my head and that actor looked just like what I imagined. In the movie they was a great feeling of suspense on like the book. It made me get into the movie more. That would be some of the simple things I liked about it.