Well-Intentioned Lessons in ‘The Runaway’

Sunday’s Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation on CBS, “The Runaway,” is a tale of racial prejudice, enduring friendship and doing the right thing in the rural South at the dawn of the civil rights era.

Directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman and performed by a capable cast, it is also part murder mystery, courtroom drama and romance, set against the unshakable bond between two young boys: Luke (Cody Newton), who is white, and Sonny (Duane McLaughlin), who is black.

Born at the same moment in 1949, they are destined--intones the mysterious “Conjure Woman,” played with dignity by poet laureate Maya Angelou--to become a catalyst for change in the town where bigotry still festers.

The inseparable pair bring the town’s racism into sharp focus when they accidentally discover the remains of Sonny’s murdered father and two other black men. Tensions increase when Sonny is arrested for the shooting death of violent bigot Harlan Davis (Cliff De Young)--who has beaten and raped Sonny’s 16-year-old sister.

Veteran character actor Pat Hingle plays the attorney who comes out of retirement to defend Sonny and forces the town to see itself clearly; meanwhile Luke holds the key to the trial’s outcome.

In Ron Raley’s teleplay, based on a novel by Terry Kay, the boys’ story is linked to that of the white sheriff (Dean Cain). An idealistic WWII veteran who champions justice for all and doing the right thing, Sheriff Richards leavens his dogged murder investigations with his slowly kindling romance with a racist’s young widow (Kathryn Erbe).

Despite its heart-on-sleeve earnestness and self-conscious portent, however, the film’s condemnation of the immorality of racism is a resonant message.

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“The Runaway” can be seen Sunday at 9 p.m. on CBS. The network has rated it TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children).