Brother Future
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| Brother Future | |
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| Directed by | Roy Campanella II |
| Produced by | Wayne Morris |
| Written by | Roy Campanella II |
| Starring | Phil 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 starred Phill Lewis, Moses Gunn, Frank Converse, Carl Lumbly, Vonetta McGee, and Michael Burgess. A street kid (Phil Lewis) from Detroit, Michigan, 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.
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[edit] Synopsis
The movie begins with TJ (Phill Lewis), a high school student from Detroit, 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, but a police officer starts to chase him. 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, and gets 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 a book that 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 Isaac's inability to move, he tells TJ to find Denmark Vesey and tell him about what happened. TJ does as he is told, and when he returns TJ 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 as there is no time for dancing for the slaves), but Josiah asks TJ to cover for him at seven o'clock. 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. They also bring along Josiah's "girlfriend," Caroline. Cooper and Zeek chase after the trio. TJ decides to stall them and, while Josiah and Caroline escape, Cooper shoots TJ. He 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 at school. He learns that to help yourself you sometimes have to help others. He also returns with a new pride in his heritage.
[edit] Cast and crew
- Directed and 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] Awards
Brother Future won a DGA Award for "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Shows - Daytime" in 1992.
