Brother Future

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Brother Future

IMDB Image:4hvof5.png 8.6/10 (41 votes)
Directed by Roy Campanella II
Produced by Wayne Morris
Written by Roy Campanella II
Starring Phill Lewis
Carl Lumbly
Moses Gunn
Akosua Busia
Frank Converse
Vonetta McGee
Release date(s) 31 March 1999
11 June 1991
Running time 103 min
Country United States
Language English

Brother Future is a 1991 science fiction movie. It stared Phill Lewis, Moses Gunn, Frank Converse, Carl Lumbly, Vonetta McGee, and Michael Burgess. A Detroit street kid (Phil Lewis) is hit by a car; when he awakes, he finds himself a slave in South Carolina in 1822. The kid then has to help his fellow slaves to return to his time. Roy Campanella Jr. directed this made-for-TV movie. Ebert & Roeper has stated this being one their favorite movies ever. [[]

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[edit] Synopsis

The movie begins with TJ (Phil Lewis), a high school student from Detriot, selling stolen items to other members of his neighborhood. Upon returning to class, TJ finds he has to write a paper on a famous black person for his Black History class. TJ is later seen selling more stolen material while talking to his friend, a cop starts to chase TJ. While running, TJ gets hit by a car and is knocked unconscious. When TJ awakens, he finds himself in 1822 in the deep south. Thinking he is a runaway slave, TJ is brought to a slave auction and is sold to a man named Mr. Cooper. TJ then has to work on Mr. Cooper's plantation, getting himself into all sorts of mischief. While getting Zeek's (a fellow slave) food from Cooper's house, TJ runs into a house slave, Mortilla, who also happens to be a palm reader. She tells TJ that to return to his own time, he must help another slave and then find "a big tree." After trying to help his fellow slaves with their chores, TJ becomes frustrated and attempts at run away. Unfortunately, he is stopped by Zeek, who then whips him. Back at the plantation, TJ helps one of his fellow slaves, Josiah, learn to read. He shows Josiah how to write his name and they read out of book Josiah stole from Cooper. To try and get Zeek in trouble with Cooper, he places the book in Zeek's house. Cooper finds the book, but also finds a piece of paper in the book in which Josiah had practiced writing his name. Josiah is then whipped to such an extent that he cannot move. Due to Issac's inablitiy to move, he tells TJ to go and find Denmark Vesey and tell him about what happened. TJ does as he is told, and when he returns, tells Issac what Vesey has told him. Josiah, TJ and Zeek have been asked to work at a party at Cooper's house (serving food, there being no time for dancing for the slaves!), but Josiah asks TJ to cover for him at 6. Zeek overhears this and rushes to tell Cooper. At the party, Zeek tells Cooper about what he has heard. TJ hears this, and reports it to Josiah. The two then decide to escape, also bringing Josiah's "girlfriend", Caroline. Cooper and Zeek chaise after the trio. TJ decides to stall them and, while Josiah and Caroline escape, Cooper shoots TJ. TJ falls from the shot, right under a "big tree." When awakened, TJ finds himself back in his own time, where he decides to do better ask school. He also returns with a new pride in his heritage.

[edit] Cast and crew

  • Directed by Roy Campanella II
  • Written by Roy Campanella II
  • Phill Lewis - TJ
  • Carl Lumbly - Denmark Vesey
  • Moses Gunn - Isaac
  • Frank Converse - Cooper
  • William Bender - Auctioneer
  • Akosua Busia - Caroline
  • O'Neal Compton - Turner
  • William Crumby - Ned
  • Michael Flippo - Meese
  • Arthur Gilliard - John Gell
  • Johhny Heyward - Lonny
  • Daniel Hydrick III - Patroller #1 (as Daneil E. Hydrick III)
  • Kenyatta Jackson - Crunch
  • Frank P. Jarrell - Jarvis
  • Gene Jones - Gov. Bennett
  • Vonetta McGee - Mortilla
  • Cornell Royal - Gullah Jack
  • Matthew Sullivan - Lucius (slave trader)
  • Casting by Tony Lee
  • Wayne Morris - Unit production manager
  • Patricia Ann Dyer - Second assistant director
  • Sandra M. Middleton - First assistant director
  • Sherwood Jones - Boom operator
  • Keith Davis - Electrician
  • Jeff Knipp - Production coordinator

[edit] Praise and criticism

Brother Future is widely considered one of best movies of 1991 for the acting, camera shots, lighting, and the overall plot/finished product of the film. Many critics (especially Ebert & Roeper) had Brother Future in their top 10 movies of 1991. Despite its status, Brother Future is not without its criticism. Many historians were angry at some of the inaccuracies of the film, such as the slaves receiving beds and not removing the seeds from the cotton.

[edit] Awards

Although nominated for many awards, Brother Future only won a DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Shows - Daytime in 1992 (probably due to its lack of promotion and lack of well known actors). The film was nominated for best picutre, best actor, and best director at the 1991 Golden Globes. It also was somehow nominated for a Grammy.

[edit] References in pop culture

The show Family Guy has made a reference to Brother Future with a parody movie called Black To The Future, the joke being how similar Brother Future is to the Back to the Future series.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] External links