White Socks Only

What would you do if you thought you had witnessed a terrible crime? In this film, based on Evelyn Coleman's book of the same name, young Taylor (an African-American girl) and her best friend Paul Jr. (a white boy), think they've seen the dreadlocked town weirdo wheeling a body into his junky garage. After seeking the advice of Taylor's Grandma Pinson, who commends them for not keeping quiet, the pair are told the story of how many years ago, when Jim Crow laws were still in effect in the South, Grandma Pinson and Paul's grandfather went into town. As it was a hot day, she took a drink from a water fountain marked "Whites Only," thinking the sign was meant for people wearing white. The ensuing conflict between black and white residents led to a whole community standing up for what was right, after learning the lesson that fearing what is different is the real crime. Unfortunately, the narrative ties are extremely loose, lacking any real storyline, historical context, or connection between the events of the past and those of the present. In addition, the acting and editing are mediocre, and the story is both too-over-the-top and implausible (in one scene, a white bigot tries to beat the young Grandma Pinson with a giant belt, while minutes later the white bystanders are hugging the black activists). Not a necessary purchase. Aud: E, I, P. (E. Gieschen)