Cry the Beloved Country

Delivery Time: 7 to 15 Working Days Format: DVD

In a land torn by hatred and injustice, James Earl Jones and Richard Harris are two fathers one a man of peace, the other a man of power and privilege whose lives seem destined for a violent collision. But instead, in the wake of a tragic killing, these extraordinary men form an unlikely union...and together find the kind of understanding that could heal a nation. Based on the acclaimed novel, you'll find this electrifying motion picture both entertaining and inspiring.
This moving 1995 adaptation of Alan Paton's celebrated novel stars James Earl Jones as a beloved, rural minister in South Africa who makes his first trip to Johannesburg in search of his son. The latter's destiny has been linked with that of a doomed, young white man, whose racist father (Richard Harris) is approached by Jones's character in the spirit of mutual understanding. Directed by Darrell James Roodt (Sarafina!), the film is most powerful in those scenes featuring Harris and Jones together, though early sequences grounded in the hard life and times of Jones's community are colorful and dramatic. It's impossible not to be touched by the cautious but real connection made between the principal characters and by the moral authenticity of the actors. --Tom Keogh