1929

Zeke Johnson, an African-American sharecropper, works alongside his family farming cotton in the American South. His household includes his mother, Mammy; his father, Pappy, who also serves as an informal preacher in their community; his brother, Spunk; Spunk's wife, Missy Rose; and their three young sons. During the cotton harvest season, the Johnson family is visited one evening by neighbors seeking to be married by Pappy. Amid the gathering, Zeke finds himself unexpectedly drawn to his sister-in-law, Missy Rose. However, when he attempts to kiss her, she firmly rejects his advance.