Nightjohn is a 1996 American television drama film directed by Charles Burnett and written by Bill Cain, based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Gary Paulsen. It aired on Disney Channel as one of its Premiere Films, on June 1, 1996. The film is about a young slave girl named Sarny, played by Allison Jones, who lives a hopeless life on a Southern plantation. Her job is to take care of the white family's son as well as spitting tobacco on the roses to keep bugs away. Her life is changed when she is taught how to read by a fellow slave. The slave, John, says that learning to read is freedom because slavery is bounded by laws and deeds which the slaves cannot read. Her excitement towards reading gets her and her fellow slaves in trouble with their master, Mr. Wallace, who prohibits any slave from being able to read. When trouble ensues, Sarny uses her ability to read against Mr. Wallace and saves the lives of the rest of the slaves. She ends up being sold, but not before she shows her fellow slaves the letter 'A'. Plot Sarny, a girl, is born in a slave cabin. Her master Clel Waller is angry, saying that a boy would've been worth more. However, he doesn't sell her, as a promise has been made, so her mother is sold after a few years instead. Sarny is taken care by Delie, another slave. When Sarny grows to about pre-teenage years, she starts working at the Big House, taking care of Homer, the master's son who is not potty-trained yet. Back at the cabins, Outlaw tries to get Delie to convince Mr. Waller to give him a pass so he can marry a girl named Egypt from another plantation. Delie is preparing a dress for Sarny so she can go to work at the master's house. After a Sunday church service in which slaves and masters attend, the Wallers have guests over for lunch, among them a doctor who later has a romance with Callie, Clel's wife who, during the luncheon, talks about Outlaw wanting to court Egypt, owned by Clel's brother. Clel shuts her down stating that if they were to have a baby, it would give money to the wife's plantation instead of his. Callie asks why things cannot just be about love. Upset about Clel's decision,