Memphis - Recap

Ray Ellison sees a doctor in Memphis who informs him that he has a lethal brain tumor. The doctor offers him an expensive treatment but Ray has no money and no family. Ray admits he’s not leaving much of a life behind. He goes outside, walks across the street… and is hit by a car.

Ray recovers consciousness and finds himself on the street in 1968, where a nurse Adelaide tries to help him. She takes him home to let him recover. Her son Lucas, who has a large birthmark on his face, admits he’s never seen a watch like Ray’s. Adelaide sends Lucas outside and talks about the colored hospital. Ray insists that he’s hallucinating and discovers that his wallet is missing. They enjoy supper but when Adelaide leaves the room for a moment, Lucas says his mother is worried because a lawyer is preparing to foreclose on their house. Later he finds her crying in the living room and he explains that he’s a law clerk. She’s furious but he offers some advice on how to save her house.

The next morning, Adelaide goes to deal with the foreclosure and Ray gets directions from Lucas to where he was found in the street. He tells Lucas he won’t be back and the boy can’t come with him. As he walks down the street, he takes a flyer from a man for a meeting tonight. As Ray goes through the alleyway looking for his wallet, a policeman accosts him. Before he can do anything, Lucas rides up and manages to persuade the officer to drop the matter by claiming Ray’s his uncle. They walk home and Lucas admits he’s out of school because he was in a fight because a boy taunted him about the birthmark on his face. Ray talks about fighting with the heart and mind to change the future. Lucas whispers a secret in Ray’s ear, and Ray notes it’s a pretty big dream that he’s going to have to fight for.

Adelaide returns home later and reveals that she successfully stopped the foreclosure using Ray’s advice. Later after Lucas goes to bed, Adelaide explains that her husband died in a window-washing accident when nobody took him to the colored hospital in time. Ray assures her that things will change in the future, and wonders if it’s possible to get a second chance. Adelaide insists it is. Ray looks at the piece of paper he picked up earlier: it’s for a speech by Martin Luthor King, and the date is April 3. Ray believes that he’s there to save King and gets directions from Adelaide. He tries to get inside but the police refuse to let him enter.

The next morning, Adelaide bails Ray out and he heads for the Lorraine Hotel where King is staying. Adelaide realizes they won’t see him again and he thanks her for everything. Lucas insists on coming along but Ray tells him to stay and fight for what he wants. Ray runs through the streets to the hotel and yells for King to get off the balcony and go inside. Lucas is riding behind him and Ray sees that a car is about to hit him. Ray throws himself in front of the car to keep it from hitting Lucas. As Ray lies dying, a shot rings out. The dying Ray looks up as Lucas thanks him for saving him.

Ray wakes up in a hospital bed. The doctor informs him that he was in a coma for three days. Ray’s case was reviewed and the specialist underwrote the cost and it won’t cost Ray a dime. Ray meets his new physician: Dr. Lucas Tyler, who has a birthmark on his face. Lucas says the same thing about fighting from the heart and mind, and Ray promises he’ll never forget.

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