Neptune's Rocking Horse

Five strangers are brought together by two seemingly unrelated events in this independent drama. As an angry black cross-dresser is brutally beaten in an altercation with New York City police, five people look on at the incident. Busy businesswoman Genna thinks little of it, and she considers transvestitism to be a sexist parody of women. Woronoff is a gay rights activist who is appalled by the attack, even though he's unaware of the facts. Sadie is an elderly woman caring for her invalid husband, but she finds this attack on a stranger hard to ignore. Malcolm, a doorman at the building where the man was attacked, regards the victim as a disgrace to the black community, without examining his own place in African-American culture.

Directed by Robert Roznowski, Robert Tate, Neptune's Rocking Horse leans on a strong ensemble — Laura Lockwood — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1997.