Upon his discharge following the Korean War, soldier Jerry moves back to the small town in South Carolina where he grew up. Jerry is reunited with his old flame Leslie, gets a job as an insurance salesman and begins to heal from the emotional damage caused by the war. But Jerry faces a serious moral dilemma when the job he depends on for his livelihood leads him to take advantage of an elderly African-American woman and the members of her community.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Grant ShowJerry Shand | Jerry Shand |
 Cicely TysonVesta Lotte Battle | Vesta Lotte Battle |
 Lori LoughlinLeslie | Leslie |
 George WendtSam | Sam |
 Cari ShayneClaire Gundry | Claire Gundry |
 Rebecca KoonZella Shand | Zella Shand |
 Bob KingJuel Shand | Juel Shand |
| AAllan GurganusProfessor Title | Professor Title |
 Stephen Michael AyersDon Cahoun | Don Cahoun |
| HHelen AlexanderWhite Woman in Church | White Woman in Church |
 Shannon EubanksMrs. Grundy | Mrs. Grundy |
 Tommy CresswellMr. Grundy | Mr. Grundy |
 Louise StrattenSandy | Sandy |
| RRobby PreddyRanda Orvilson | Randa Orvilson |
 Michael FlanneryCecil | Cecil |
| GGeorgia AllenMary Irene Tatum | Mary Irene Tatum |
| JJohn LawhornEaston Peel | Easton Peel |
| DDavid DwyerMan in Mill Town | Man in Mill Town |
| KKate FinlaysonWoman in Mill Town | Woman in Mill Town |
 Bart HansardBuddy | Buddy |
| JJudy SimpsonRegistrar | Registrar |
| BBrinley McClaryMinna | Minna |
 Antonia BogdanovichVerla | Verla |
| LLynn LlewelynYoung Mother | Young Mother |
| DDeborah DukeBlack Woman in Church | Black Woman in Church |
| MMichelle Benjamin CooperCassandra | Cassandra |