What: In 1960s Los Angeles, a young, blind white woman falls in love with a black man who befriends her. She is largely uneducated and lives with her verbally and physically abusive mother. He is well-educated and his background is more affluent, being firmly middle class.
Given those broad plot points, you may be surprised to learn that this is not a melodrama. It has moments of powerful emotion, sure, but in general A Patch of Blue quietly and carefully tells the story of two people facing the precise point where the personal meets the political.
Comparable to: Other award-bait films that Sidney Poitier starred in around the same time include Lilies of the Field, To Sir with Love, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and In the Heat of the Night.
Representative quote: "I'm sorry. You were much sinned against."
You might not like it if: You were in the mood to watch a melodrama, actually.
How to get it: The film is widely available to rent, stream, or buy. The novel on which it was based --- Be Ready with Bells and Drums, by Elizabeth Kata --- is not quite as easy to find.
Comparable to: Other award-bait films that Sidney Poitier starred in around the same time include Lilies of the Field, To Sir with Love, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and In the Heat of the Night.
Representative quote: "I'm sorry. You were much sinned against."
You might not like it if: You were in the mood to watch a melodrama, actually.
How to get it: The film is widely available to rent, stream, or buy. The novel on which it was based --- Be Ready with Bells and Drums, by Elizabeth Kata --- is not quite as easy to find.
[Originally posted 6/22/11.]
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