Take a Giant Step (1959)

Directed by

Philip Leacock

Genre

drama film, film based on a literary work, coming-of-age film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 40m

Rating

5.2 of 10 from 9 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A black teenager in a mostly white neighborhood faces growing hostility as he starts to understand racism. His friendships and family relationships are tested as he struggles to find his place.

poignantgroundedsinceremoodyuncomfortablerestrainedearnestintrospective

What happens

Take a Giant Step is a 1959 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Philip Leacock. The plot concerns a black teenager living in a predominantly white environment and having trouble coping as he reaches an age at which the realities of racism are beginning to affect his life more directly and pointedly than they had in his childhood. Adapted from the Broadway play by Louis S. Peterson, the film stars Johnny Nash — who would ultimately become more well known for his singing career, including the hit song "I Can See Clearly Now" — as the lead character, Spencer "Spence" Scott. Co-stars included Ruby Dee as the Scott family's housekeeper, Estelle Hemsley as Grandma Martin (Hemsley was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actress), and Beah Richards as Spence's mother. The movie's executive producer was Burt Lancaster through his Hecht-Hill-Lancaster production company. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

• A Patch of Blue (1965)
• A Summer Place (1959)
• Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
• Dead Poets Society (1989)
• Imitation of Life (1959)
• The 400 Blows (1959)
• The Young Captives (1959)
• Flipped (2010)