Watch: Trailer for ‘Trip to Bountiful’ Starring Cicely Tyson, Vanessa Williams & Keke Palmer

Cicely Tyson and Keke Palmer in 'The Trip to Bountiful' (2014)

Cicely Tyson and Keke Palmer in ‘The Trip to Bountiful’ (2014)

An all-black film interpretation of Horton Foote ‘s award-winning 1953 play The Trip to Bountiful will premiere on Lifetime on March 8th.

Starring Cicely Tyson, Vanessa Williams, Blair Underwood and Keke Palmer , the story centers on an elderly woman’s determination during the Jim Crow era to return to her childhood home before she dies. Check out the synopsis and watch the trailer for the film below.

“Carrie Watts (Tyson), begrudgingly lives with her busy, overprotective son, Ludie (Underwood) and pretentious daughter-in-law, Jessie Mae (Williams). No longer able to drive and forbidden to travel alone, she wishes for freedom from the confines of the house and begs her son to take her on a visit to her hometown of Bountiful.

When he refuses, Mrs. Watts is undeterred and makes an escape to the local bus station, where she befriends Thelma, a young woman traveling home. When Ludie and Jessie Mae discover she is gone, they call in law enforcement to help, but Mrs. Watts is one step ahead of them and convinces the local sheriff to help her on her journey home to Bountiful.”

In 1953, The Trip to Bountiful premiered on NBC-TV before making its Broadway debut in 1954. A 1985 film adaptation earned Geraldine Page an Academy Award® for Best Actress and Foote was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

In the 2013 Broadway revival, the play garnered four Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Play, Best Featured Actress in a Play, Best Sound Design and a win for Cicely Tyson for Best Actress in a Play for her role as Carrie Watts.

The director of the celebrated play, Michael Wilson , makes his television directorial debut with this project, which is produced by Ostar Productions and executive produced by Bill Haber ( Rizzoli & Isles ), Cicely Tyson, Hallie Foote and Jeff Hayes ( A Day Late and a Dollar Short ).

Click through some movie stills below and tune in for the premiere on Saturday, March 8th at 8:00 EST/7:00 CST.

[spotted via forharriet.com ]

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