Adapted from the short story, "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes, a young man questions his life choices after a botched purse-snatching.
本片改编自兰斯顿·休斯的短篇小说，故事讲述了史都德文家的女仆寇拉所经历的种种磨难。故事从寇拉的女儿乔瑟芬诞生开始，乔瑟芬是寇拉与白人小伙子乔的私生女，在当时种族隔离的背景下，乔不得不离开，勇敢的寇拉独自抚养了约瑟芬，母女二人过着清贫但幸福的生活。但好景不长，女儿约瑟芬因病夭折，悲痛欲绝的寇拉不得不承受这种突然的打击。
所幸，约瑟芬的玩伴，史都德文家的小女儿洁西非常乖巧，给寇拉带来了巨大的慰藉。寇拉一直抚养洁西长大，两人之间情若母女。13年后，洁西已经长大，历史再次重演。史都德文夫人反对女儿洁西与在当地开冰淇淋店的希腊小伙子威利相爱，并在洁西怀孕之后不顾洁西的反对将其带到外地引产。洁西身心俱伤，一病不起。在洁西的葬礼上，寇拉发出了心底的控诉……
In the pre-Civil War South, a plantation owner dies and leaves all his possessions, including his slaves, to his young son. While the deceased treated his slaves decently, his corrupt executor abuses them unmercifully, beating them without provocation, and he is planning to sell off the father'e estate--including the slaves--at the earliest opportunity so he and his mistress ca...
