13/19
Narrative
Elwood Curtis’ college dream is crumbling along a two-lane Florida highway. Under the weight of an innocent misstep, he is condemned to the underworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal correctional institution sunk in the Jim Crow South. He meets another guard, the all-seeing Turner. The two black teenagers form an alliance: Turner shares basic survival advice and Elwood clings to his optimistic view of the world. Against the backdrop of the emerging Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner’s existences seem worlds apart from the brilliant oratory of the Rev. Martin Luther King. Despite Nickel’s brutality, Elwood struggles to cling to his humanity and awakens a new perspective in Turner.