SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4 - COMING OF AGE 2 Films 8:00 p.m. (ET)/5:00 p.m. (PT) SOUNDER (1972) Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield play Louisiana sharecroppers who are trying to survive during the Depression in Martin RittÕs Sounder (1972). The film, an adaptation of William H. ArmstrongÕs novel, is the hard luck tale of Nathan Lee Morgan who is arrested for stealing food for his family, his wife who tries to keep their family together while he's away, and their child who is determined to help them. During a time when "Blaxploitation" films like Shaft (1971) and Superfly (1972) were gaining popularity, Sounder (1972) (named after the family dog in the film), was a breath of fresh air for those looking for a worthwhile movie going experience for the entire family. Cicely Tyson, with her penetrating eyes and dignified presence, was perfect as the strong, able-bodied matriarch and would go on to reap critical acclaim for her performances in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974) and the mini-series Roots (1977). Few actresses could have matched her eloquence in such scenes as the one where she suppresses her anger while haggling with a white grocer or the moment when she first views her husband returning home after his release from a prison work camp. Not surprisingly, her work in Sounder earned Tyson an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress. (She lost to Liza Minnelli in Cabaret that year). Paul WinfieldÕs performance as the unfortunate father is no less impressive than Tyson's and earned him an Oscar nomination (for Best Actor) as well. Winfield brought a poignancy and depth to the role, allowing audiences to empathize with a man forced to steal for his family. A former graduate of UCLA and a native of Watts, California, Winfield was no stranger to playing unconventional heroes and men of action and is probably best know for his portrayal of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the mini-series King (1978). Sounder was filmed on location in St. Helena Parish and East Feliciana Parish in Louisiana. The supporting cast includes Kevin Hooks, son of actor Robert Hooks, as the eldest son and musician Taj Mahal in his film debut as the Morgan's optimistic friend, Ike (He also provided the score). In addition to the acting nominations, Sounder (1972) was nominated for Best Picture and Best Writing but did not win any of its nominations. Nevertheless, it was lavishly praised by the critics though some noted that it was safely rooted in the past, a fact that conveniently denied its characters an opportunity to vent their rage and rebelliousness unlike contemporary urban heroes like the title character in Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971). Director: Martin Ritt Producer: Robert B. Radnitz Screenplay: William H. Armstrong, Lonne Elder III Cinematography: John A. Alonzo Music: Taj Mahal Principle Cast: Cicely Tyson (Rebecca Morgan), Paul Winfield (Nathan Lee Morgan), Kevin Hooks (David Lee Morgan), Carmen Mathews (Mrs. Boatwright), Taj Mahal (Ike), James Best (Sheriff Young) C-106m. Letterboxed By Kerryn Sherrod 10:00 p.m. (ET)/7:00 p.m. (PT) THE LEARNING TREE (1969) Director, author, poet, composer, photojournalist -Ð Gordon Parks would earn a prominent place in American culture even if he hadnÕt become the first African-American to direct mainstream studio films. A true Renaissance man, Parks came to filmmaking relatively late in life at the age of 57. Today heÕs best known as the director of the box office hit Shaft (1971), a classic of the urban, street-smart "blaxploitation" genre. But his film career began two years earlier with The Learning Tree, based on his semi-autobiographical novel of life in a small Kansas town in the 1920s. ParksÕ sensitive handling of this story of a young manÕs rite of passage marked a turning point in the cinematic depiction of the African-American experience in America and kicked off a spate of black-themed films that depicted characters and life experiences rarely chronicled in mainstream American cinema. Parks brought a lot of his own experiences into the story of Newt Winger, a boy who learns the hard lessons of first love (and sex), witnesses a murder, and faces the bitter humiliation of racial discrimination before gaining the strength and wisdom to move on to a brighter future. Like his central character, Parks was born in 1912, the youngest child of a large family of poor dirt-farmers, in Fort Scott, Kansas, where much of the film was shot. Leaving behind his rural routes, the adventurous young man became in succession - a busboy in Chicago, a piano player in a Minnesota brothel, a drug runner in Harlem and a professional basketball player before settling into a remarkable career as a photojournalist, first for the U.S. government and most notably at Life magazine. From the 1940s into the 1960s, Parks mastered the still camera - what he later called his "choice of weapons" - to document the lives of AmericaÕs poor. In The Learning Tree, however, he stuck to the details of his early years, evoking the essence of black life, from church services to outdoor barbecues, and the strong sense of family and community that gave him the foundation for his later success. Although he came to the project with a considerable reputation as an accomplished artist, Parks had to deal with the expected resistance to a black director helming a studio-financed film. One producer offered him major funding if he would change all the black characters to white, and another suggested silent film diva Gloria Swanson for the part of NewtÕs mother. But Parks had a great ally in director-actor John Cassavetes, who introduced him to gutsy Warner Brothers producer Kenny Hyman. Not only did Hyman agree to let him direct, in quick succession Parks found himself assigned to writing the screenplay, producing the film and Ð after Hyman heard him play a song he had written on the piano Ð composing the score. Only a handful of filmmakers had been given such sweeping control; Chaplin and Welles are among the few that come to mind. Many critics praised the film at the time of its release for its breathtaking cinematography (by Burnett Guffey) and evocative sense of time and place. But others found it somewhat old-fashioned, even "corny." Remember, this was 1969, at the height of a rebellious and stormy new period in American history and culture. Young audiences, in particular, were not likely to embrace the kind of sentiments that had been the stock-in-trade of successful directors from a generation earlier, people like John Ford and Frank Capra. But The Learning Tree -- part of a tradition of coming-of-age movies stretching back at least as far as FordÕs How Green Was My Valley (1941) Ð has held up over the years. And in 1989 it was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Film Registry for all time. Director: Gordon Parks Producer: Jimmy Lydon, Gordon Parks Screenplay: Gordon Parks Cinematography: Burnett Guffey Art Direction: Edward Engoron Music: Gordon Parks Cast: Kyle Johnson (Newt Winger), Estelle Evans (Sarah Winger), Felix P. Nelson (Jack Winger), Carol Lamond (Big Mabel), Joel Fluellen (Uncle Rob), Alex Clarke (Marcus) C-108m. Letterboxed. By Rob Nixon