Nightjohn

Based on the novel by Gary Paulsen, Nightjohn is the triumphant story of twelve-year-old Sarny, a slave in the ante-bellum South. At the plantation of Clel Waller (Beau Bridges), she faces a grim future of serving at table and spitting tobacco on roses to prevent infestation. Then, Nightjohn (Carl Lumbly) arrives. A former runaway slave who bears telltale scars on his back, he takes Sarny under his wing and, in exchange for a pinch of tobacco, secretly teaches her to read and write, a crime punishable by death. Together, the two free other slaves by forging passes to the North...until a planned escape is discovered, and Sarny's knowledge becomes her most deadly asset. (official distributor synopsis)