Native Son (1986 film)
Native Son is a 1986 American drama film directed by Jerrold Freeman, and starring Carroll Baker, Victor Love, Matt Dillon, and Oprah Winfrey. The film is based on the 1940 novel Native Son, written by Richard Wright.
| Native Son | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jerrold Freedman |
| Produced by | Diane Silver |
| Written by | Richard Wesley |
| Based on | Native Son by Richard Wright |
| Starring | |
| Music by | James Mtume |
| Cinematography | Thomas Burstyn |
| Edited by | Aaron Stell |
| Distributed by | Cinecom Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2,000,000 |
| Box office | $1,301,121[1] |
Plot
Set in Chicago in the 1930s, Bigger Thomas, an African American who lives in an impoverished neighborhood, is employed by a prosperous white family who live in the suburbs of a major city. The money Bigger makes at his new job will be used to supplement his mother's income. As a chauffeur, he is directed by the father of the family to take Mary, the daughter, to the university. Instead, Mary decides to pick up her Socialist boyfriend, Jan, and to spend the time drinking and partying.
Jan and Mary portray a young liberal couple who venture into a black neighborhood with Bigger for the sole purpose of being entertained at Ernie's, a black nightclub. On the way home, Mary becomes inebriated and Bigger must get her to her bedroom without being detected. Mary's mother, who is blind, enters the room and Bigger panics at the thought of being caught with a white woman. He accidentally kills Mary by placing a pillow over her head to keep her quiet. Still frightened, Bigger disposes of the body in the furnace, possibly because he feels he would not get a fair trial for the accidental death of a white woman. Meanwhile, Jan is wanted by the police for Mary's murder and Bigger plays a role in the accusations against him.
Cast
- Victor Love as Bigger Thomas
- Elizabeth McGovern as Mary Dalton
- Matt Dillon as Jan Erlone
- Geraldine Page as Peggy
- Oprah Winfrey as Mrs. Thomas
- Akosua Busia as Bessie
- Carroll Baker as Mrs. Dalton
- John McMartin as Mr. Dalton
- Art Evans as Doc
- John Karlen as Max
- Willard E. Pugh as Gus
- Ving Rhames as Jack
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 56% based on reviews from 9 critics, with an average rating of 6/10.[2]
References
- "Native Son (1986)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
- "Native Son". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2013-06-02.