Sounder (1972)

For a film named after a dog character, the dog does not have a whole lot of screen time. Reading a synopsis for the novel, which I’ve never read, I greatly suspect the movie strayed a bit from its source material, particularly the ending. That said, the screenplay as is provides a rather uplifting story of a family of sharecroppers trying to survive during the Depression. Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield are fine as the parents, but I took particular entertainment by the acting of young Kevin Hooks who carries the story. 

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Actress in a Leading Role; Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium