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Intro
In a U.S. Southern town in the 1960s, a white storeowner, Lyle Britten, shoots a young Black man, Richard Henry, and throws his body face-down in the weeds. Later, in a Black church, Richard’s father—a minister, Meridian Henry—meets with Black students Lorenzo, Pete, and Juanita, who have been protesting. When Meridian hopes aloud that the police will arrest Richard’s murderer, Lorenzo points out that Lyle has killed a Black person before—and the police did nothing. Meridian says that white newspaperman Parnell James will help them, but Lorenzo points out that Parnell is friends with Lyle. Parnell enters and says that a warrant has been issued for Lyle’s arrest. When Juanita thanks Parnell, he asks her not to. He announces that he’s going to go warn Lyle—who is his friend.
Parnell visits Lyle, his wife Jo, and their baby son. He tells them that he defended Lyle to the police, but that the police will arrest Lyle. Lyle suggests that Richard was an addict “ruined” by having lived in the North. When Parnell says that Richard coming home to recover from addiction doesn’t mean he deserved to die, Lyle says that he has nothing against Black people—but he can’t stand “mixing.”
In a flashback, Richard’s grandmother Mother Henry asks why he didn’t come home sooner. He says that he wanted Meridian to be proud of him at a time he wasn’t proud of Meridian, whom he wishes had murdered all the white men at the hotel where his mother died. When Mother Henry says Richard’s mother fell, Richard insists that the white men at the hotel sexually harassed her and that one of them pushed her down the steps. Richard shows Mother Henry a gun. She begs him to give her the gun, but he refuses. She leaves.
Juanita and Pete enter the Henrys’ house and encounter Richard, whom they invite out with them. They go to Papa D’s juke joint and discuss how Papa D still trades with Lyle Britten, who murdered a Black man, Old Bill, when Old Bill tried to end Lyle’s affair with Old Bill’s young wife—and then claimed it was self-defense. Richard decries the double standard by which white men assault Black women without punishment, but Black men are lynched for even touching white women. Then he shows the others photos of white girlfriends he had in New York. Richard explains how he became lonely, disgusted with his white girlfriends, and eventually addicted to drugs while working as a musician in New York. Juanita flirtatiously but genuinely offers Richard emotional support. They dance. Lyle walks in, sees them, and—intentionally—bumps into Juanita on his way out. Lyle and Richard have a terse exchange.
When Richard gets home, he runs into his father Meridian. Richard asks why Meridian never told Richard that Richard’s mother was murdered. Meridian says he didn’t want to ruin Richard’s life with “suspicions.” Richard gives Meridian his gun and asks Meridian to hold it for him—until Richard asks for it back. Meridian agrees.
In the present, Parnell enters the church. When Meridian vocally doubts his own decision to counsel the Black townspeople to protest only nonviolently, Parnell begs him to show “mercy” to the white residents, who find it difficult to give up their privilege. Meridian asks what hope there is for justice if white people are incapable of change. They discuss whether Lyle killed Richard. When Meridian requests that Parnell ask Lyle directly, Parnell claims he’s not sure he could betray Lyle like that and leaves.
On a Sunday morning, white townspeople have come to Lyle and Jo’s house to offer emotional support before Lyle’s arrest. When Parnell enters, the white townspeople berate him for his progressive ideas. After the townspeople leave, Parnell comments to Lyle that the townspeople seem to think highly of Lyle. Lyle says it’s because he and the townspeople understand hardship in a way that rich Parnell doesn’t. They banter about how Parnell went to school in Switzerland with African princes who dated white girls. Lyle says he’d never send his daughter to Switzerland, but he suggests that his son dating an African princess would be fine. Jo is upset at the double standard. When Lyle goes to take a bath, Jo asks Parnell whether Lyle has dated Black women. Parnell won’t tell her, so Jo asks whether Parnell had dated Black women. Parnell tells her about his short-lived relationship with a Black girl named Pearl when they were teens. Jo is horrified when Parnell admits that he’d happily marry and have children with Pearl if he found her. Jo is horrified: if Parnell could love a Black girl, that means maybe Lyle loved Old Bill’s wife, Willa Mae—and murdered Old Bill over her.
Lyle returns, and he and Parnell go for a drink. Parnell starts reminiscing about Willa Mae. Parnell asks whether Lyle fought Old Bill over Willa Mae, but Lyle claims he didn’t. When Lyle says he can still remember how “he” looked coming into the store, Parnell asks questions to clarify whether Lyle means Old Bill or Richard.
In a flashback, Lyle is hammering in the back of his store while Jo minds the counter. Richard and Lorenzo walk by. When Richard wants to go in and buy a soda, Lorenzo cautions him not to because it’s Lyle’s store. Richard goes in anyway and tries to buy two Cokes with a $20 bill. Lyle comes out from the back and says he doesn’t have change for the bill, so Richard insults Lyle’s financial situation. A physical altercation ensues, and Richard and Lorenzo leave after Richard mocks the concept of a “master race” and makes a sexually disparaging comment about Jo.
Back in the present, while drinking with Parnell, Lyle wishes aloud that every Black person would die face-down in the weeds just like Richard. Parnell tries to get Lyle to talk about Richard. When Lyle refuses, Parnell tries to leave for Richard’s funeral, but Lyle begs Parnell to stay and drink with him.
Meridian preaches at Richard’s funeral. After the homily, the mourners line up to say goodbye to Richard. Parnell comes in late. Juanita asks him why he looks so rough. He explains that Lyle kept him—and that Lyle will “never confess” to Richard’s murder. He starts crying. Juanita expresses envy; she can’t cry in front of people who don’t understand the depth of her grief. Parnell realizes aloud that Juanita loved Richard. Juanita, in turn, wonders aloud how Parnell can fail to know so much. When Parnell asks why she’s being sharp with him, she tells him that no one needs him to be their hero—they just want him to be himself. Parnell asks whether he and Juanita could ever have had a chance at a romantic relationship. She says that there was a chance at one point—but there isn’t now.
Lyle’s trial takes place several months later. Jo testifies that Richard attempted to forcibly kiss her and that, when Lyle ran to help her, Richard and Lorenzo both jumped on Lyle before running away. Papa D testifies that Richard and Lyle were both in his juke joint the night of the murder. His testimony transitions into a flashback. Richard is in Papa D’s juke joint, telling Papa D that he wants to leave town with Juanita, when Lyle walks in and asks whether Richard is “ready.” Richard pays Papa D and leaves. Back in the present, Papa D says he never saw Richard alive again. After Papa D’s testimony, Lorenzo testifies that Jo lied—Richard never touched her. When the defense attorney, called The State, asks whether Richard had a gun or was motivated to assault Jo by his pornographic photos of white women, Lorenzo says that he never saw a gun or any pornographic photos.
Juanita is called to the stand. The State pursues a line of questioning insinuating that Juanita is sexually promiscuous. Toward the end of her testimony, she asserts that she and Richard had made plans to leave town together—but before they could, Richard was murdered. Mother Henry is called to the stand, where she denies that she ever saw Richard with a gun. Then Meridian takes the stand. He denies having seen Richard with a gun or having discussed pornographic photos with Richard. When the State hostilely suggests that Richard was a “pimp” and a “rapist,” Meridian strongly denies both claims.
Parnell is called to the stand. When the State asks him about Richard’s gun or pornographic photos, Parnell says he never saw a gun—and the photos weren’t pornographic. The State presses Parnell to admit that the photos were of white women. Parnell admits they were. When the State asks about Richard’s assault on Jo, Parnell says he’s never heard anything about it until today. The State asks how Parnell, a friend of the Brittens, could have failed to hear about it, and Parnell hedges—without admitting that he thinks Jo lied.
The jury declares Lyle not guilty. Afterward, Meridian asks Lyle whether he killed Richard. When Lyle snaps that the jury verdict should be good enough for Meridian, Parnell cuts in that it’s not. Lyle accuses Parnell of having doubted Jo’s word. Parnell says he didn’t doubt it—he is quite sure Lyle forced her to lie, and he feels like he’s sinned by not saying anything. Lyle accuses Parnell of forgetting he’s white. Meridian asks whether Richard begged for his life, and Lyle says no—Richard was too proud.
In a flashback, Lyle and Richard are standing outside Papa D’s juke joint. Lyle insists that Richard apologizes to him. Richard refuses and asks what either him or Lyle has been trying to prove. Both men admit they want to go home. When Lyle insists they have to settle things between them first, Richard says both he and Lyle are men. Lyle becomes enraged and shoots Richard. In the present, Lyle yells that he had to kill Richard. Jo hustles him away. Then, Mother Henry announces to the remaining people that they need to go march. Everyone leaves except Parnell and Juanita. Parnell asks whether he can march with them. Juanita says they can “walk in the same direction”—but then tells him to come on.
