18/23
Narrative
Elwood Curtis’ college dream crashes on a two-lane highway in Florida. Having borne the brunt of an innocent mistake, he is sentenced to the underworld of the Nickel Academy, a brutal correctional institution sunk deep in the Jim Crow South. He runs into another ward, Turner, who saw it all. Two black teenagers form an alliance: Turner gives basic survival advice, Ellwood warms to his optimistic outlook on life. Against the background of the growing Civil Rights Movement, the existence of Ellwood and Turner seems far removed from the brilliant oratory of the Reverend. Martin Luther King. Despite Nicol’s cruelty, Ellwood strives to preserve his humanity, awakening Turner’s new vision.