A Lesson Before Dying
A Lesson Before Dying
PG-13 | 22 May 1999 (USA)
A Lesson Before Dying Trailers

In the 1940s South, an African-American man is wrongly accused of the killing a a white store owner. In his defense, his white attorney equates him with a lowly hog, to indicate that he didn't have the sense to know what he was doing. Nevertheless convicted, he is sentenced to die, but his godmother and the aunt of the local schoolteacher convince school teacher go to the convicted man's cell each day to try to reaffirm to him that he is not an animal but a man with dignity.

Reviews
Scanialara You won't be disappointed!
ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.
Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.
Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.
mysticzine Having just finished the novel, I was excited to watch this film. I had seen a lot of people rent it over the years, and knew the quality of the cast, so I was eager to enjoy it. Unfortunately, the cheap production, poorly written script, flat direction, and over-dramatic score really hamper what could have been a great film. This is a film that hits you over the head with emotion, rather than letting it seep through in nuance. We are constantly told, through histrionic music and stage sized acting, what we are supposed to feel. If the film was black and white, it would fit perfectly into the 1950's melodrama genre. The actors in this film are playing caricatures rather than characters with back story and motivations. This film is too broad, too overplayed, and too cursory. This is a wonderful story that deserves a director who truly understands the material and knows the world the events are set in. Hopefully, with remakes being the all the rage, this novel will get a new chance to shine on screen.
Gordon-11 This film is about a black man wrongly convicted of murder in America back in the 40's. A teacher unwillingly starts to visit him, and forms a bond that change them both forever."A Lesson Before Dying" is a great film. The character portrayal and their dialogs consistently shine. The supportive Vivian's lines are positive and encouraging, and she evokes strength and courage in others. Her line about how "Everytime a black little one is born, they hope he is the one" is heartbreaking. It encapsulates their desperate despair and their remote hope all in a few words.Edna Guidry, though a minor character, is very memorable because of her pretentious and superficial dialogs. When there is clearly an agenda in the tea meeting, she keeps on saying irrelevant things and keeps on ordering the maid to bring more alcohol. It shows how severe and scathing the discrimination is towards black people in those days. Grant Wiggins' bond with Jefferson is developed convincingly. Though this bond is brief, its effect is everlasting. I also find the struggle of faith in the film portrayed well.The whole story in very convincing and touching. It keeps me wanting to know more. It is powerful. "A Lesson Before Dying" should earn just as much recognition as "Dead Man Walking".
rwirtz This movie brought me to tears. It was honest, upright and well executed. It plunks us right in the middle of a serious situation, a situation where there are can hardy be winners. The absolute good thing about this movie is that it's not pointing a finger; it just shows the facts. There are no supernatural interferences, except maybe the realization of a friendship, the establishment of kinship and the acceptance of reality and how to cope with it in order to change it for the better.Great movie, it gets 8 out of 10 from me. Recommended viewing.
Peegee-3 What a beautiful film this is! The injustice perpetrated in the South (and frequently elsewhere) against the black people in a society dominated by whites is its noble theme. But so much more. How the relationship between two men can bring strength to the one oppressed, comfort to his soul and dignity to his being has been brilliantly portrayed and performed. It's an inspiration to us all. And in that relationship there are lessons for both men. Don Cheadle as a sensitive black teacher and Phifer as the wronged prisoner are splendid and convincing. The rest of the cast is also fine. Although this is a movie to touch the heart deeply, even profoundly, it avoids striking any note of sentimentality. There are hard truths presented here...but with such humanity I was almost happy to face them.