Ninth Street (1999)

Synopsis
A dramatic comedy about life in the African-American community in the late 1960s, Ninth Street take place in Junction City, Kansas, a town that in 1968 looked to the nearby Fort Riley Army base for most of its economic support. Junction City's Ninth Street was home to a string of black-owned bars, clubs and strip joints, and the film follows a crew of Ninth Street regulars, including a tart-tongued nightclub owner (Queen Bey), a pair of philosophical winos (Don Washington and Kevin Willmott), a widowed and emotionally troubled bag lady (Kaycee Moore) and a young prostitute eager to get out of the life (Nadine Griffith). Shot on a shoestring budget over a period of seven years, Ninth Street features a cameo appearance from Martin Sheen as a priest who tends a flock in the ghetto, and a supporting performance from soul music legendIsaac Hayes, who also contributes to the score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide