By the time this odd assortment of males arrives in Washington, D.C., for the Million Man March, they have bonded as brothers. Director Spike Lee scores a singular feat by weaving together snippets of the Afro-American experience with the most intriguing of visuals. That's done by establishing an adversarial relationship among the men of all ages who've come together for a bus trip to the Million Man March. Dutton as a combination den mother and spiritual leader of the bus tour. The venerable Ossie Davis all but overflows the screen, playing the elder statesman of the group, a man of many facets and accomplishments who has been bludgeoned by corporate racism but his spirit remains unbroken.
Bonds are court-ordered companions.
Junior must remain shackled to his dad because of a theft conviction. That enforced proximity leads to Evan confessing the weaknesses that made him flee when his son was born. And Junior comes to terms with his sense of abandonment and resentment of his dad. In a moonlit scene that is one of the year's best and most beautiful, father and son emotionally reach out to each other. Gradually, everyone's spirits lift.