Nothing But a Man (1994)

Overlooked for nearly 30 years, the compelling Nothing But a Man is a treasure of African-American film. Ivan Dixon (Hogan's Heroes) plays Duff Anderson, a black man trying to break his family's cycle of neglect and self-loathing while maintaining his dignity in racially intolerant Alabama. Filmed in black and white during the tumultuous civil rights era, Nothing offers a subtle lesson in individual and community responsibility. Plus, jazz great Abbey Lincoln costars as Duff's demure and patient wife.