Words by Heart (1985)

It’s not surprising that this TV movie feels a bit like an afterschool special since it’s based on a young adult novel. I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out the setting. All the characters have inconsistent southern accents and cotton is grown in the area, but there are references to the main family having moved north and written descriptions of the plot describe it as being set in the midwest. The plot itself centers on the coming-of-age for a young Black girl adjusting to her new surroundings and the pervasiveness of racism. I watched this to see Charlotte Rae and Alfre Woodard and they both performed fine for television.