The Long Night

A naturally acted film about a black teenage boy, King, who wanders the streets one evening after his Vietnam veteran father runs out on his easygoing mother. The film uses flashbacks to provide background on the boy's family life, while throughout the night he tries to scrape together enough money to repay a $27 debt to his mother. Directed by one of New York's top black-theater producers, THE LONG NIGHT's fatal flaw is its inability to achieve an arresting degree of visual or cinematic understanding. Fine performances all the way around, especially from the young King, make the film a commendable effort.