CADENCE

Martin Sheen's 1991 directorial debut features Sheen as the disturbed head of a military stockade where the prisoners include a troublemaking Army misfit played by his son Charlie, Private Bean (Charlie Sheen) is thrown into the stockade with a group of five blacks calling themselves the Soul Patrol, and gradually learns teamwork from the men, including their leader Stokes (Laurence Fishburne), Eventually the tug of war between Bean and the bigoted commander reaches a boiling point with tragic conclusions, and Bean learns the meaning of compassion and the difference between right and wrong, The film is nothing particularly inspiring or insightful, but the supporting players, including Fishburne, give solid performances, and Cadence affords the audience a chance to see the father and son team work together in an earnest and well-meaning drama. -Robert Lane