Sounder (1972) is a film drama based on the 1969 novel by William H. Armstrong about a black depression era sharecropper family in Louisiana. The movie starred Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, and Kevin Hooks. Musician Taj Mahal composed the film’s blue-inspired soundtrack and appears in a supporting role.
The film was both a critical and commercial success. Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield both received Academy Award nomination for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Taj Mahal’s score was nominated for a BAFTA and Grammy Award, and 13-year-old Kevin Hooks earned a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer – Male. The National Board of Review ranked it as one of the Top 10 best films of 1972.
Sounder
