Shadrach (1998)

50% of critics liked it
(16 reviews)
53% of users liked it
(382 ratings)

Susanna Styron made her feature directorial debut with this family drama, an adaptation of a 1978 short story by her father, novelist William Styron (Sophie's Choice). Paul Whitehurst (voice of Martin Sheen) recalls Depression-era events in Tidewater, Virginia, when he was ten years old. In the… More Susanna Styron made her feature directorial debut with this family drama, an adaptation of a 1978 short story by her father, novelist William Styron (Sophie's Choice). Paul Whitehurst (voice of Martin Sheen) recalls Depression-era events in Tidewater, Virginia, when he was ten years old. In the summer of 1935, lonely young Paul (Scott Terra), with his strict father (Darrell Larson) and fatally ill mother (Deborah Hedwall), is raised in a boring, middle-class way of life, so mundane it leads him into a friendship with the lower-class Dabneys, once aristocratic but now reduced to poverty on the former Dabney plantation. Bootlegger Vernon (Harvey Keitel) is married to earthy beer-drinking Trixie (Andie MacDowell), and Paul enjoys the fun-loving lifestyle of this couple and their seven children. Shadrach (John Franklin Sawyer), a 99-year-old former slave, turns up one day at the Dabney house after walking barefoot from Alabama to Virginia, where he was born into slavery. Since Shadrach's wish to be buried on the Dabney's land violates Virginia law, the request sets a variety of racist attitudes and conflicts into motion. Shown at the 1998 LA Independent Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Susanna Styron
Written By: Susanna Styron, Bridget Terry
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Sep 23, 1998 Wide
On DVD: Feb 23, 1999
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
A vignette, really, a couple of days in a boy%u06E5s life recollected in tranquillity.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A heart-affecting drama about a youngster who learns that we must give each death that enters our life the attention it deserves.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jason O

Paul, an only child, loves visiting the Dabney family. The Dabneys have seven children, and they're a much poorer family. During Paul's tenth summer, set in the 1930s, a family member he never even met passes away, and he goes to stay with the Dabneys while his parents go… More
Paul, an only child, loves visiting the Dabney family. The Dabneys have seven children, and they're a much poorer family. During Paul's tenth summer, set in the 1930s, a family member he never even met passes away, and he goes to stay with the Dabneys while his parents go off to the funeral. That's when he meets Shadrach, a 99-year-old black man that was born a slave and was sold off to Alabama, being separated from his family in Virginia. He's been gone all these years. Sensing death in his old bones, he travels back to his native Virginia, wanting to be put to rest where he belongs. Shadrach happens to be a Dabney, just like the white family he came to. Will this family be nice enough to do for him what he wants to be done? What will happen along the way? "Shadrach" is a heartwarming and extremely realistic film. Being raised in Alabama, I can relate to the underlying plot of the film a lot. One thing that's really shocking is that Paul looks almost just like my little brother, making me kind of watch the movie as if it was through my younger sibling's eyes. Both of those facts along with the great acting by everybody, especially Harvey Keitel, made "Shadrach" really hit home for me in a way. Not to mention that it reminds me of my own childhood, when I was looked at as being middle to upper class, but almost all of my friends were less fortunate, and I never thought a thing about it. It's a shame that "Shadrach" seems to be relatively unknown. It's just a simple drama movie with elements of a coming of age film, but it's a real good one that will hit home for certain people, maybe in more than one way. All I did was rent it after hearing that it's "a good southern movie." I'm glad I did, because now I look to purchase it one day in the future. As long as the cussing nearly every other word doesn't bother you (it shouldn't; that's just the film trying to be realistic of the times), you'll love "Shadrach". NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2003. One of the most underrated movies I know of, for sure. I always love a good drama and this one delivered in every way. All the actors do a great job and if you don't mind a good tear-jerker, this is a must see. Guess it receives a few extra brownie points cause the main kid actor looks JUST LIKE my little brother looked at that age.