Amos & Andrew

Andrew Sterling, a successful black urbanite playwright, buys a vacation home on a resort island in Massachusetts. Two of his new neighbors, the Gillmans, mistake him for a burglar and call the police, unaware of the previous owners' departure. Andrew goes outside to shut off his car alarm, where he is met with gunfire from the police. Reporters arrive and interview Chief Tolliver, who calls Andrew on the phone to apologize for his mistake. To avoid the bad publicity, Tolliver offers Amos Odell, a thief in his jail, a deal: he will be granted free passage out of town if he breaks into Andrew's home, holds the writer hostage, and gives himself up. Armed with a shotgun, Amos enters the house and ties up Andrew, who believes Amos is an assassin sent to kill him due to his published views against "white America".