Tomorrow (1972) Plot Summary Explained

Fentry, a lonely and isolated farmer in rural Mississippi, took in Sarah Eubanks because he found her in a state of destitution and couldn't turn away a pregnant woman in need. His act was driven by basic human compassion rather than any expectation of reward. The film presents this as an example of the quiet, often invisible decency that exists in people society dismisses as unimportant.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes show Fentry living alone, establishing his isolation before Sarah arrives, making his decision to help her even more significant.

• Fentry
• Sarah Eubanks
• drifter
• pregnant
• compassion
• Mississippi farm

Sarah died after childbirth, leaving Fentry to fulfill his promise to care for her son. Her death marks the first major tragedy in the film and establishes the foundation of Fentry's lifelong commitment to the boy she left behind. This loss deeply shapes Fentry's character and his sense of responsibility throughout the narrative.

Foreshadowing: The timeline notes mention that she dies after Fentry makes his promise, binding his fate to a child he never expected to raise.

• Sarah Eubanks
• death
• childbirth
• promise
• son
• Fentry

Sarah's brothers forcibly removed the boy from Fentry's care, asserting familial control over the child. This act severed the fragile bond Fentry had built with the boy and set him on a harsher path. The film presents this as a betrayal that ultimately contributed to the boy's tragic fate, as he grew up without the stability Fentry had provided.

Foreshadowing: The timeline establishes this as a turning point that 'sets the boy on a harsher path' and deepens Fentry's sense of loss.

• Sarah's brothers
• boy
• taken
• Fentry
• force
• family

The victim, Sarah's son, grew up to be viewed as worthless by the community due to his rough upbringing and the stigma attached to his childhood. This social judgment led some in the town to view his murder as eliminating a troublesome figure rather than a tragic loss of life. The film uses this reaction to critique how society assigns worth to people based on class and reputation.

Foreshadowing: The timeline notes the boy's 'worthless' reputation was sealed by his upbringing, making the murder feel justified to some.

• murder
• public service
• worthless
• community
• judgment
• victim

Fentry's vote is pivotal because his past with Sarah Eubanks and the boy gives him unique insight into the victim's humanity. While other jurors see the murder victim as worthless, Fentry remembers the child he raised and the promise he made to Sarah. His vote becomes a moral statement about recognizing worth in people society has dismissed.

Foreshadowing: The narrative reveals Fentry's hidden past gradually, building toward the moment when his connection to the victim becomes clear.

• Fentry
• jury
• vote
• murder trial
• worth
• victim

The murder victim is Sarah Eubanks' son, the same child Fentry promised to care for after Sarah's death. Fentry raised the boy for a time before Sarah's brothers took him away. This connection, revealed during the trial through the defense attorney's narration, reframes the case as a personal matter for Fentry rather than a distant event. His memories of the boy inform his understanding of the victim's worth.

Foreshadowing: Timeline item 11 confirms the victim's lineage ties directly to Sarah Eubanks, the drifter Fentry sheltered.

• Fentry
• Sarah's son
• victim
• connection
• trial
• raised

The film's closing references the idea that 'the lowly and invincible of the earth' endure despite being overlooked by society. This message applies both to Fentry, who maintained his moral character despite being dismissed, and to the victim, whose brief life had value even if society refused to recognize it. The courtroom becomes a space where hidden stories of worth are finally acknowledged.

Foreshadowing: The final quote about endurance echoes throughout the film, connecting Fentry's quiet actions to a broader philosophy about human dignity.

• endurance
• tomorrow
• lowly
• invincible
• worth
• dignity
• meaning

The non-linear structure, with the defense attorney narrating as Fentry sits on the jury, allows the film to gradually reveal Fentry's hidden past. This storytelling method creates dramatic irony, viewers and jurors piece together the connection between Fentry and the victim as the trial progresses. It emphasizes how memory and personal history shape moral judgment in ways the official record cannot capture.

Foreshadowing: The attorney's narration invites the audience to look closer, just as the jury must look beyond the surface of the case.

• flashback
• courtroom
• attorney
• narration
• structure
• non-linear

The defense attorney serves as both narrator and moral guide, framing the trial through the lens of Fentry's hidden past. He recognizes Fentry's humanity when others dismiss him, using the story to argue for the dignity of seemingly insignificant people. His perspective drives the film's thematic argument about worth and endurance.

Foreshadowing: The attorney realizes Fentry's true character late in the film, reframing the courtroom as a 'moral mirror.'

• defense attorney
• narrator
• Lawyer Douglas
• role
• perspective
• moral

After being forcibly taken from Fentry by Sarah's brothers, the boy grew up in a harsh environment that shaped his reputation. The stigma attached to his origins, born to a destitute drifter, abandoned by his mother, taken from his foster home, combined with his difficult upbringing led the community to dismiss him as worthless. This social judgment made his murder feel acceptable to some, a tragedy the film explicitly critiques.

Foreshadowing: The timeline notes the boy's 'harsh upbringing' directly contributes to his 'worthless' reputation in the community.

• boy
• worthless
• upbringing
• community
• stigma
• reputation
• society