Elwood Curtis’ college dream is shattered along a two-lane highway in Florida. Suffering the guilt of an innocent misstep, he is condemned to the underworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory steeped deep in the Jim Crow South. He meets another Ward, the Turner who has seen it all. The two black teenagers form an alliance: Turner gives fundamental advice for survival, Elwood clings to his optimistic view of the world. Against the backdrop of the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner’s existence appears a world away from the polished oratory of the Reverend Martin Luther King. Despite Nickel’s brutality, Elwood struggles to retain his humanity, awakening a new vision for Turner.
Leave A Comment