Synopsis: In a poor African-American neighborhood in Los Angeles, once-aspiring poet Johnny Williams takes a low-paying job as a house painter in order to support his family. Already struggling to make ends meet, Williams -- who rests his hopes on his son Jeff, an Air Force lieutenant -- grows more despondent when he learns his wife, Mattie, has terminal cancer. Now, Williams must summon the depths of his spirit to overcome his family's plight.