In 1935, 99-year-old former slave Shadrach asks to be buried on the soil where he was born to slavery, and that land is owned by the large Dabney family, consisting of Vernon, Trixie and their seven children, and to bury a black man on that land is a violation of strict Virginia law.

Harvey Keitel and Martin Sheen learned their accents for this film from James L.W. West, while Andie MacDowell, who is a native Southerner, developed her own accent. Keitel spent most of a day talking with West and taping his speech. Sheen later listened to these tapes.

[Paul has learned curse words from the Dabneys and is yelling them into the closet.]


Paul:
Son of a bitch, whorehouse, Jesus Christ, pisspot, asshole!


Mrs. Whitehurst:
Come on, Paul, it's time to go to church!

Anachronisms: The film is set in 1935. When Paul walks into the house past his father and up the stairs (at the beginning of the film), a smoke detector is visible on the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs.

Performed by Bessie Jones, Hobart Smith and The Sea Island Singers
Traditional, arranged by Alan Lomax, Bessie Jones and Hobart Smith
Used by permission of Alan Lomax