Access your personalized watchlist, ratings, and recommendations.
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.
general audience, movie lovers
police brutality, coming of age, courtroom, basketball player
United States of America
asBenjamin Blackwell
asSarah Robinson
asOfficer Larry Atkins
asLeona Hamilton
asWilford Robinson
asCharlie
asOne-Eye
asDeputy Coroner
asOfficer John Golich
asFred Jenkins
asSgt. Danaher
asSam Hamilton
asEarl Carter
asNathaniel 'Cornbread' Hamilton
asAce
asWatkins
asShifty
asMr. Wilson
asMr. Johnson
asJack
asMrs. Parsons
asDet. Simmons
asDet. Kelly
asDiane
asMr. Carter
asStud
asEdna
asMorgue Man (as Tommy Maier)
asMan
asStore Manager
Verified multi-platform critics & audience scorecards
150,000 verified ratings
125 approved critics
16 community votes