Overwiew :Director Carl Franklin, who would later go on to play a significant role in reinventing modern film noir with ONE FALSE MOVE and DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS, crafts this small-town drama based on a true story. The year is 1960; the place is Caddo, Texas. Jerry Lee (Kieran Mulroney) is a hormonally charged student at Caddo High School. His best friend Howard (Jason Priestley) has his sights set on the beautiful Cynthia (Jillian McWhirter), whose father is running for sheriff. On the other side of town, Harmon Hickman (David Carradine), a bootlegger serving time, strikes a deal with the town’s corrupt incumbent sheriff to get transferred to the county cell. It isn’t long before he’s back out on the streets, reunited with the cash he had stashed before going into the penitentiary. Before long, several bodies begin to pile up, as layers of corruption gradually reveal even deeper secrets in Caddo’s underbelly. Franklin’s film tackles a broad range of issues, including traditional coming-of-age themes as well as incest, blackmail, and corrupt powerbrokers.
