A Father for Charlie

I found this to be to my enthusiasm pretty gritty and disturbing from the first 20 minutes or so, with familiar racist slang, and the Ku Klux Klan beating the black man, Walter (Lou Gossit Jr.) who really shows no violence or racism, but faces it from the citizens of High Lonesome. Joseph Mazzello, as Charlie is a bold, Huck Finn-like lad, who needs to fend for himself and take care of his little sister, even when she's sick, and hunts with his rifle, and showing attitude firing it at Walter's farm. Patrick Swayze's brother (Don Swayze) plays Charlie's brutal drunk father bearing resemblance to Papa Finn. Mazzello's only role where his hair appears short. Joe just naturally exhibits, to this day, his supernatural emotions.

A must see for those out there who prefer watching movies which are touching or rather sensitive. I went everywhere to look for this film after watching it on TV. I knew i had to own it because it's one film that really showed me that LOVE is mystical. This movie is basically all about racial discrimination but to my point of view, I captured something even greater. A LOVE bond which could not possibly happen, really happened. I do not want to elaborate more on this film because it cannot be described unless you watch it. Believe me, it's really worth watching and if tears do not roll out of your eyes, sorry to say but, you've been cheated by nature!

Reading the back of the DVD case of HIGH LONESOME as it's known in Britain I knew how everything was going to work out in the end , but I didn't realise how unlikely it was all going to be . Walter Osgood is the only black man in the county ! I do know there was a lot of racism in the deep south , but the only black man in the county seems highly unlikely . Yeah I know the Deep South was highly racist at this time but to have only one single black man remaining in a whole county does seem highly unlikely indeed and I didn't care at all for all the tedious mawkishness but I guess that's only to be expected from this type of story featuring a young boy

I don't want to be totally negative because it is fairly well acted especially by William Fichtner as The Sheriff ( Though again another unlikely arc from his character ) but it's a shame seeing Louis Gosset Jr appearing in such forgettable films as this when he was the most critically acclaimed black actor of the 1980s . I doubt if he'll be getting any more great roles as he did with AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN and THE GUARDIAN

Set in the heart of America in the 1930s. Walter Osgood (Louis Gosset Jr) is the only black man left in the town of High Lonesome that has been cleared by the overwhelming white supremacist beliefs. Having lost his entire family to them and not knowing where his young Son is or whether he is alive is what sets this movie apart from others.

Predictably no-one in the town 'High Lonesome'gives a darn and this is cleverly shown when the Bank manager says "I only have to charge you 6% instead of the 3% I charge white-folk because of the stockholders". He seems so plausible that you just want to believe him as one who has to follow the pack of 'Black haters'. The Sheriff and star of the film little Charlie are support to this as the story revolves around the slow but sure dissolving of pure hatred to one of heart and admiration over the strength Gosset Jr shows in his character that won't be beaten by the racists.

The outcome is not overly predictable and to dismiss this as a 'same old story' would be wrong and might even show ones own racist views!? A cracking made for TV film that belongs in the Cinema and also the classrooms of the schools.

All in all a compelling drama that would not have been lost on the big screen.

To all the so called film critics out there who try to Judge 'Stars' on their other films, stop doing this, judge the actors on the films you write about as this is the only relevance people want to know. Opinions are varied but the story is not, this is a powerful and very well acted film where even Don Swayze looked at home!

Highly recommended.

90 minutes of perfection!! I watched this in my history class not too long ago (the whole class stayed in through break to see the end!!). I spent ages looking for it. It's about a black farmer who must cope with frequent racism from the locals. At the very beginning we learn of Walter's sad past. The neighbour's son, Charlie, has a bitter heart but throughout the story we see how he learns that not everything is as he is told (especially by his father, Reuben, played by Don Swayze). I absolutely recommend this classical film. Apart from an excellent cast (the cast includes Kris Kristofferson and Don Swayze, Patrick Swazyes' little bro!), it will captivate you and leave you asking for more. But have the tissues near, it's a bit of a tearjerker. :)