In this drama, a widowed patriarch, Will Varner, struggles to find a worthy successor to carry on his family's legacy in rural Mississippi. His son Jody is aimless and unambitious, while his daughter Clara is intelligent but uncertain about her future. When a new sharecropper, Ben Quick, arrives, Will sees an opportunity to mold him into the son he never had and encourages him to marry Clara. As tensions rise, Clara must decide what she truly wants in life, and Jody fights to maintain his position in the family.
The Long, Hot Summer
Ben Quick, a notorious barn burner and conman, moves to a small Mississippi town and charms the Varners, the wealthiest family in the area.
