Ragtime 1981

The film unfolds with a captivating newsreel montage, showcasing iconic figures from the early 20th century, including Harry Houdini, Theodore Roosevelt, and the architect Stanford White (played by Norman Mailer). This vibrant backdrop of New York City life is enriched by the lively music of Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (Howard E. Rollins Jr.) at the piano. The narrative kicks off when wealthy industrialist Harry Kendall Thaw ([Robert Joy]) causes a stir at the unveiling ceremony for White’s latest creation, a nude statue featuring Evelyn Nesbit ([Elizabeth McGovern]), his wife and a former chorus girl. Fueled by his conviction that White has dishonored and manipulated Evelyn, Thaw confronts the architect on the evening of June 25, 1906, culminating in a public shooting at Madison Square Garden that leaves White dead before numerous spectators. In a shocking turn, Thaw does not flee but instead willingly turns himself in to law enforcement.

In the midst of this chaos, we are introduced to an upper-class family residing in a seemingly tranquil suburban house in New Rochelle. The family’s patriarch, the Father ([James Olson]), owns a factory where his wife’s Younger Brother ([Brad Dourif]) works as a fireworks maker. Their serene existence takes a turn when they discover an abandoned African American baby in their garden. The child’s mother, an unwed washerwoman named Sarah ([Debbie Allen]), is located and brought into their home. Amidst rising tensions surrounding Sarah’s situation, Mother ([Mary Steenburgen]) intervenes, battling her husband’s initial objections to provide shelter for Sarah and her child.

As time flows, the story weaves in the wayward journey of Coalhouse Walker, who dramatically arrives at the family’s doorstep in a brand-new Model T Ford, unabashedly claiming his status as the child’s father and announcing his intent to marry Sarah. Meanwhile, the Younger Brother becomes infatuated with Evelyn, his obsession intensifying after witnessing White’s murder. As Younger Brother’s fascination with her grows, tensions peak when Thaw’s lawyer, Delphin ([Pat O’Brien]), approaches Evelyn, offering her a substantial divorce settlement to secure her silence regarding Thaw’s mental instability during the trial while blackmailing her into fabricating abuse claims against White.

Evelyn’s life spirals when she intersects paths with Tateh ([Mandy Patinkin]), a Jewish street artist, amidst his marital turmoil, further complicating her relationships. Young and dazed, Evelyn engages in a relationship with Younger Brother, harboring dreams of a return to the limelight.

As the timeline progresses to early 1908, Thaw’s trial concludes in his favor under the misconception of temporary insanity, adding layers to Evelyn’s confined existence. Shortly thereafter, racism seeps into their neighborhood as Coalhouse Walker faces hostile discrimination from local firemen, leading to a series of unfortunate events including Sarah’s tragic death due to racial violence.

Coalhouse’s fury ignites further conflict, launching him into action to reclaim justice for his family and his pride. With coalitions forming, Younger Brother joins his cause, resulting in a significant turning point that sees Coalhouse taking hostages at the Pierpont Morgan Library. Here, Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo ([James Cagney]) attempts to mediate, though he finds himself restrained by the chaos enfolding. Amidst the unfolding drama that straddles morality and desperation, Father finds himself torn as he faces his own principles and the reality of his family’s fragmented beliefs.

As events unfold towards a poignant end, the audience witnesses the depths of sacrifice and the quest for dignity in a world marred by prejudice. The film concludes with a nostalgic newsreel montage showing the aftermath of these events and their reverberating impact on each character’s journey: Evelyn finds her place on stage, Thaw’s release from confinement puzzles many, and Younger Brother grapples with his newfound ideologies as the family he once knew migrates toward uncertain futures. In this profound exploration of social currents, Father gazes upon a shifting landscape, watching as Mother departs with Tateh and Coalhouse’s son, embodying the lingering tension of history and hope.