Ragtime
The film begins with a newsreel montage, depicting celebrities of the turn of the 20th century such as Harry Houdini, Theodore Roosevelt and the architect Stanford White (Norman Mailer), as well as life in New York City. The newsreel is accompanied by ragtime pianist Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (Howard E. Rollins, Jr.). The millionaire industrialist Harry Kendall Thaw (Robert Joy), makes a scene when White's latest creation, a nude statue on the roof of Madison Square Garden, is unveiled. The model for the statue is Evelyn Nesbit (Elizabeth McGovern), a former chorus girl who is now Thaw's wife. Thaw becomes convinced White has corrupted Evelyn and humiliated him, and publicly shoots White, killing him.
Meanwhile, an unnamed upper class family resides in a comfortable suburban home in New Rochelle. The family's Father (James Olson) owns a factory, where his wife's Younger Brother (Brad Dourif) is employed as a fireworks maker. Their passive, sheltered existence is disturbed when an abandoned African American baby is found in their garden. The child's mother, an unmarried washerwoman named Sarah (Debbie Allen), is discovered and brought to their home. When she learns that the police intend to charge Sarah with child abandonment and attempted murder, Mother (Mary Steenburgen) intervenes and takes Sarah and her child into the home, despite Father's objections. Some time later, Coalhouse Walker arrives at the house in search of Sarah, driving a new model T Ford and acting in a brash manner unlike the subservient attitude expected of the African American community at the time. Realizing that he is the baby's father, he announces to a skeptical Father that he intends to marry Sarah.
Younger Brother witnesses White's murder and becomes obsessed with Evelyn, leaving home for long periods of time to follow her throughout the city. Thaw's lawyer, Delphin (Pat O'Brien), bribes Evelyn with a million-dollar divorce settlement (which she accepts) to keep silent about Thaw's mental instability at his trial and to testify that White had abused her. Passing through the tenements of the Lower East Side, Evelyn encounters a street artist known as Tateh (Mandy Patinkin) and sees him throw his wife (Fran Drescher) out of their home after learning of her infidelity. He takes their daughter and leaves New York, taking with him the flip book he has invented, which he begins to sell successfully. Evelyn, who has become fond of the little girl, is troubled by their disappearance, but distracted when Younger Brother declares his love to her. She begins an affair with him as she begins to plan her return to the stage. He assumes that they will eventually marry and plans to introduce her to his family. However, after Thaw is found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity, his lawyers interrupt one of Evelyn's trysts with Younger Brother and inform her that Thaw will be suing her for divorce on the grounds of infidelity, offering her a much smaller divorce settlement, which she takes. The affair ends shortly thereafter, leaving Younger Brother alone and adrift.
In New Rochelle Coalhouse is targeted by a crew of bigoted volunteer firemen, led by fire chief Willie Conklin (Kenneth McMillan), who refuse to allow his automobile to pass by their firehouse. He leaves to find a policeman (Jeff Daniels), and returns to find his car's front seat soiled with horse manure. His protests end with the racist policeman placing him under arrest for parking his car illegally. Conklin is not arrested. After Father arranges for Coalhouse's release, they discover his car has been vandalized further. Coalhouse pursues legal action, but can find no lawyer willing to represent him. Father, who believes Coalhouse has no legal recourse open to him due to his race, and Younger Brother, who supports Coalhouse, have a confrontation in front of Sarah, who is informed by an infuriated Father that it is up to her to get Coalhouse to see sense. She sneaks out of the house to attend a presidential rally, where she attempts to tell President Roosevelt about Coalhouse's case but is pushed back and beaten by guards. She is severely injured, and soon after dies from her wounds.
After Sarah's funeral, Coalhouse and a group of supporters ambush the volunteer firemen, killing several of them. He sends a letter to the police and newspapers threatening to attack other firehouses, demanding that his car be restored and that Conklin be turned over to him for justice. Father is disgusted at Coalhouse's violence, but Younger Brother tracks him down and joins his gang, bringing with him his knowledge of explosives.
Ostracized by their own white community and hounded by reporters for their involvement in a black man's issues, Father and Mother leave New Rochelle for Atlantic City, where they encounter Tateh, who is now a film director working on a photoplay with Evelyn Nesbitt. Mother is attracted to him, and she and Father quarrel. Meanwhile, Coalhouse and his gang force their way into the Pierpont Morgan Library, holding the priceless collection hostage in exchange for Conklin and the car. The building is soon surrounded by police and National Guard units. Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo (James Cagney) arrives to take command of the siege. He sends men to retrieve Walker's child to use a bargaining chip, but Mother refuses to give him up. This angers Father, who demands she turn the child over, and he returns to New York alone to assist Waldo. In his absence Mother checks out of their hotel.
Noted black attorney Booker T. Washington (Moses Gunn) is called in as a mediator but fails to persuade Walker to surrender, as does Father in a meeting at the library. Conklin, who has fled, is captured by the police, and forced to phone Coalhouse and apologize. Commissioner Waldo is disgusted by Conklin and his racist attitude, who he calls "a piece of slime," yet cannot submit to terrorist demands. Coalhouse ultimately agrees to surrender if Waldo will permit his supporters to safely depart in his restored car. Waldo agrees after Father volunteers to stay inside the library as a hostage. Coalhouse's supporters escape in the car, and he drives Father out the library. He prays, seeming ready to blow himself up, but instead surrenders to the police. As he steps out of the building with his hands raised, Waldo orders a sniper to shoot him. Coalhouse stumbles a short distance and falls dead.
The film ends with another newsreel montage: Evelyn dances in vaudeville, and Harry Thaw is released from an asylum. Harry Houdini escapes from a straight jacket while dangling several stories above the ground, while below him, the newspapers announce that war has been declared (presumably the start of World War I). Younger Brother returns to his job as a fireworks maker. In the final shot, Father watches from the house in New Rochelle as Mother departs with Tateh and Coalhouse's son.
tragedy, insanity, historical, murder