Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

I really did not like this movie. I saw it in school in 6th grade in English class, and my teacher warned us that it wasn't much like the book. I wanted to see it just so I could relax. I would have rather just worked! It was a bit like the book, but they changed so many things. I did like however, that it gave you the same feeling of what it was like to grow up in the 1930's with that many troubles. I wish that the director could've read the book, because it seems like he sure didn't! It seemed like a good movie went you first started it, but then you got a cheesy "Hallmark Movie" feel. Lillian Jean and Jeremy were not supposed to be Wallaces! They were supposed to be Simms! I cannot stress this enough, don't see this movie!

This was a very good movie. it followed along with the book because I thought it was funny when Mr. Morrison moved Kaleb Wallace's truck out the way. and T.J. got a lot meaner at the end of the movie. R.W. and Melvin injured him, and Kaleb Wallace and Harlan Granger beat the mess out of him. Christopher-John was not as plump as he was in the book. the movie left off after Papa was injured. but I hope they do a movie for Let The Circle Be Unbroken.

It's a disgrace that a novel that is so beautifully written and rich was turned into this sorry movie adaptation. This is a core novel used at my school and my students and I were eager to see the movie and compare it to the book we so enjoyed reading. Instead, the movie is told totally out of sequence, has gaping holes in the plot, and for some inexplicable reason, makes Lillian Jean the daughter of Mr. Wallace! It was such a disappointment that we didn't even bother to finish watching it. I really hope that someday "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" is given better treatment and made into the fine film it deserves to be.

No spoilers... brilliant story, brilliant actors, and well worth watching. We live in an era now where quality script writing is hard to find. Over the years it seems that motion pictures have traded substance for high tech cameras and lackluster storylines or regurgitating and repackaging the same stories have been told fifty million times. I'm tired of having to shield my children from films because the directors or producers decided to force feed some sort of agenda into the plot that's has no reason being there. With the way the masses have rated this film you'd think it was Gigli part 3 or something.

This film is a very faithful adaptation of Mildred Taylor's adolescent novel. The problem with this VHS is that it is out of sequence from its original three-part miniseries format. Probably because they wanted to profit from Morgan Freeman's fame, and to attain a 95 minute run time, they took part of the second episode and put it in the middle (!) of the third episode. Plot lines from the first episode are unresolved, and one of the most dramatic sequences is only seen as a recap that starts the third episode. Needless to say, with the sequence so far out of whack, it is difficult to watch and make any sense of it.

But if you have the VHS and you want to watch it in sequence, start it about 25:00 in, with the headlights in the dark and Cassie crawling out of her bed to see what's going on. Watch until Cassie "befriends" Lillian Jean (about 1:12:00 in). After that, watch the first 25:00 and then skip back to where you left off around 1:12:00 and watch to the end.

One day, they'll remake this film or at least release it in its original form. There are many classrooms that would love to have it!