Former Slave Shadrach Journeys Back to Old Virginia

Shadrach is one of those relatively unknown wonderful films that we discovered by channel surfing and one that becomes another instant keeper of the year. A human interest movie along the same lines as The Grapes of Wrath starring Henry Fonda as a young man.

The 1998 movie Shadrach was made from a 1978 short story "A Tidewater Morning" written by William Styron (1925-2006) and seen through the eyes of a 10 year old boy, Paul.

Narrated by Martin Sheen, Shadrach becomes a much loved character in the large Dabney family that includes seven children.

The Dabneys discover Shadrach (John Franklin Sawyer) for the first time as he is sitting and resting on a junk car parked in their yard in 1935. After some questioning of the weak 99 year old black stranger they learn that he has just completed a walking journey of near 600 miles to return home to the Dabney plantation where he was born a slave - and he has returned to old Virginia to his birthplace to die and be buried.

At one point Shadrach confesses that he was born on the Dabney plantation and that he is a Dabney.

Problems arise when the local sheriff learns of the burial plans and warns the father (Harvey Keitel) that burial is no longer permitted on private ground - and it will cost $35 dollars for a proper funeral which the family doesn't have.

Fun adventures follow the family as they take Shadrach to places he requests for a last time - such as a visit to the old mill pond.

Old spirituals add to the film and the beautiful scenery as it is filmed In North Carolina.

Shadrach is a wonderfully inspiring must see movie.

Sources:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144604/fullcredits#cast
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadrach_%28film%29