A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich

A timeless lesser known film from the 1970's. Its true this film was made over 27 years ago but the storyline subject matter is more relevant today than ever. Its a shame that many do not have the opportunity of viewing this film. I recommend this film to anyone who wants to understand on how drug abuse can affect your family and friends. Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield performance was very warm, heart felt and exceptional. It is amazing on how they co-starred many films together. Its like the perfect combination on how to balance out character film development. I saw this film when I was younger and now I have viewed it with my children. There needs to more films like this to help families that have been victimized by drug abuse.

Wow! Speechless in the main character's acting abilities. Larry B. Scott should have won an Oscar for this performance. It's simply one of the best ever by a youngster. I also love how the movie tackles issues that were going on in the inner city communities shortly after civil rights. Wish they had shown how the drugs made their way into the community instead of black pushers. Oh well.... It covers a single mom wanting love and father's figure in a child's life. It covers child abandonment and a child's desire to have that father in his life. It covers a stepfather's struggle to pour into a kid who refuses to validate his role in their relationship. The only thing I did not like was how the actors allowed the friendship to Benji had with his best friend to dissolve. The reconciliation at the end also was long and deep enough. This movie will resonate with kids like myself who grew up in this neighborhood at this time and witnessing many others deal with these problems Hollywood sucks for not giving Larry Scott any good roles after this. Revenge of the Nerds and Space Camp? Really? Gee whiz... oh well salute from me sir!!!

~10 Stars! This is an excellent portrait of a family in the ghetto just trying to make it, with many temptations along the way including drugs & crime. Larry B. Scott does a fantastic portrayal of "Benjie"--a good student turned junkie. He sure shows a great acting range, in a role that would be tough for anyone to play, let alone a teenager. I would love to see Scott in more roles. Of course, Cicely Tyson is wonderful as his caring mother & also Paul Winfield as his "stepfather." A special notice should also go to Helen Martin (of 227 & also Good Times fame, as Wanda). All in all, a realistic film about a family dealing with some very tough & trying issues.

Let me exhale here for a bit. This movie was heavy. I could barely stand the weight of it, it was so heavy.

Let me get the accolades out of the way.

The script. Great. Cicely Tyson. Solid. Paul Winfield. Excellent. Larry B. Scott (whom I'd only known as Lamar in Revenge of the Nerds). Spectacular. He easily rivaled the performance of Timothy Hutton who won an Oscar for his role in Ordinary People.

This was a deep movie dealing with drug use in South Central Los Angeles. But it was more than that though wasn't it? At the forefront was a 13-year-old Benjie (Larry B. Scott) who's method of dealing with being fatherless was turning to hard drugs. There's little sadder than a kid strung out on drugs.

The backdrop to that was his mother's boyfriend, Butler (Paul Winfield), trying his best to fill the father void while constantly being rebuffed by Benjie. Sweets (Cicely Tyson), Benjie's mother, was trying desperately to maintain a relationship with her son as well as her partner Butler.

And behind all of that was an environment of social justice as Black folks in the ghetto struggled to carve a niche out for themselves while fighting drugs, crime, and the man.

All of these plot elements plus the magnificent performances made for an awesome movie. It is jarring most times, angering other times, and down right sad sometimes. The moments of levity are few and far in between. You'll beg for a happy ending while realizing that what brings happiness is relative.

"A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich" is a look at a boy in South Central LA and the lure of heroin. Although it might seem like a kids' movie, there's some gritty stuff here. Not just the drug usage, but also the reaction from the adults in the boy's life. It just goes to show that life in the ghetto doesn't let you escape the rough things; conditions only worsened in successive years.

In addition to the fine performances from Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield (who later appeared in "The Terminator"), newcomer Larry B. Scott does well in his role (he later played one of the nerds in "Revenge of the Nerds").