Purlie Victorious

A bit too heavy-handed in its efforts to expose the audience to civil rights, bigotry and prejudice, this somewhat loose adaptation of the play "Purlie Victorious" still has some redeeming qualities. A black preacher returns to his community in rural Georgia with revenge on his mind. He wants to bring down a local plantation-owning tyrant and educate the community about the evils of prejudice and bigotry. He finds a surprising ally in the man's own son, played by Alan Alda (in his film debut) as a progressive-minded Southern gentleman. Some good characterizations juxtaposed with some really stereotypical ones makes this less a movie than the original play warranted it to be, but it is still interesting.