Marvin

Richard is a principled Southern farmer who despises slavery and raises his children—his son Wesley and daughter Jane—alongside his loving wife, Martha, to believe in kindness and equality. Together, they live a quiet, peaceful life rooted in love and hard work. On Wesley’s fifteenth birthday, he sets out to collect straw from Uncle Isaac’s farm before heading to the lake for a celebratory swim. But what begins as a typical day takes a life-altering turn when the family discovers a young, abandoned Black boy hidden among the straw. The child, Marvin, has intellectual disability. Rather than turning him away, Richard and his family embrace Marvin as one of their own, completing their family with compassion and joy. Some time later, Richard encourages Wesley to visit the town and make new friends. But Wesley’s journey takes a dark turn when he crosses paths with Clayton—a ruthless slaver. Clayton tempts Wesley with a large sum of money to bring him a Black child—any child—to sell into slavery. Torn between his father’s values and the lure of easy wealth, the naïve and conflicted Wesley contemplates betraying Marvin. When Wesley returns home and tells his father of Clayton’s offer, Richard is horrified. He orders Wesley to return the money. Though disappointed in himself, Wesley obeys—but things spiral out of control. Clayton refuses to take back the money, assaults Wesley, and then storms the farm in a violent rage, killing Richard in cold blood. In the aftermath, Clayton captures Marvin and sells him to a pedophile circus owner. Raymond, Clayton’s right-hand man, can no longer stomach the evil he’s complicit in. He intervenes to save Marvin from further abuse—tragically, not before the damage is done. Raymond frees Marvin, turning against Clayton. Clayton, upon discovering Raymond’s betrayal, confronts him—and the two men kill each other in a final, brutal showdown. In the end, Marvin reunites with Wesley. Grief-stricken but determined, the two brothers set their sights on the North, seeking a new beginning—a life of freedom, dignity, and hope.