
The unintentional shooting by police of a star basketball player has profound personal, political and community repercussions in this acclaimed adaptation of the novel Hog Butcher by Ronald Fair. This was one of the more thoughtful urban dramas produced at the height of the "blaxploitation" craze. Also released under the title Hit the Open Man, it features the screen debut of Laurence Fishburne, who was barely a teenager at the time.

as Benjamin Blackwell

as Sarah Robinson

as Officer Larry Atkins

as Leona Hamilton

as Wilford Robinson

as Charlie

as One-Eye

as Deputy Coroner

as Officer John Golich

as Fred Jenkins

as Sgt. Danaher

as Sam Hamilton

as Earl Carter

as Nathaniel 'Cornbread' Hamilton

as Ace

as Watkins

as Shifty

as Mr. Wilson

as Mr. Johnson

as Jack

as Mrs. Parsons

as Det. Simmons

as Det. Kelly

as Diane

as Mr. Carter

as Stud

as Edna

as Morgue Man (as Tommy Maier)

as Man

as Store Manager

as Al

as Bailiff