vincentlynch-moonoi
This is a superb film.First of all, it appears to me that this is a reasonably good telling of the real story. Although, it may surprise people to know that the prosecutor played by Alec Baldwin later ended up in prison himself when he became a disgraced judge himself (you can read about it in Wikipedia).But aside from the telling of the story, what impressed me about this film was the quality of the acting, particularly for a couple of people about whom we may have forgotten just how good actors they were.Alec Baldwin is superb as prosecutor Bobby DeLaughter. In fact, I wonder if this may not have been his finest film performance.Whoopi Goldberg is equally excellent (and restrained) as Myrlie Evers, the widow of Medgar Evers.And James Woods, though he plays the villain here, is excellently disgusting as Byron De La Beckwith, the convicted assassin of Medgar Evers.To be honest, it's difficult for me to find fault with this film. It's very solid.
SnoopyStyle
In 1963 Mississippi, civil rights leader Medgar Evers is assassinated by Byron De La Beckwith (James Woods) leaving his wife Myrlie (Whoopi Goldberg) a widower. Byron is arrested and treated as a hero by the white establishment. It's 1989. After two hung juries, Myrlie wants to reopen the case. Assistant district attorney Bobby DeLaughter (Alec Baldwin) and his southern family don't see the point of pursuing the case. He's the son-in-law of the original racist judge. Every piece of evidence and transcript have disappeared except one unnamed source claiming Myrlie as the killer. Bobby decides to take on the case despite the opposition from everyone including his wife, the 6th Amendment, and the march of time.This is obviously important history. For the most part, the first half is pretty good. It's unflinching in it portrayal of Mississippi of the past and the present. It does threaten to go melodramatic at times. The story is so devastating that director Rob Reiner's little melodramatic touches are not necessary. The trial gets stretched and the tension starts to fade. I guess the real story restricts his dramatic efforts. This is a big story and Reiner does a reasonable job.
blanche-2
"Ghosts of Mississippi" from 1996 is based on the true story of the third attempt to put Byron De La Beckwith in prison for the murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963. It stars James Woods, Alec Baldwin, Whoopie Goldberg, Craig T. Nelson, William P. Macy, Susanna Thompson,and Virginia Madsen.Medgar Evers was killed outside his home in Mississippi, shot in the back, in June of 1963. A member of the Klan and a known racist, Byron De La Beckwith was arrested. The jury at his trial consisted of twelve white men, and while Evers' wife was on the stand, some bigwig walked over to De La Beckwith and shook hands with him. A police officer gave the defendant an alibi. Twice, the trials ended in a hung jury. Thirty years later, the district attorney reopened the case, and the assistant DA, De Laughter, made a commitment to it. Many witnesses were dead, there was no court transcript, and what evidence there was had disappeared. De Laughter's wife left him and he was harassed throughout the investigation and trial.De Laughter, with new witnesses, new evidence, and new jurors won the case. De La Beckwith, then around 70 years old, went to prison and died there in 2001.The movie was filmed in Jackson, Mississippi, where Evers was killed, and members of the Evers family and Martin Luther King's daughter Yolanda were all in the movie, and Mrs. Evers was a consultant.So that's the background. Now for the film. Aside from being based on a true story, and the excellent performance by James Woods as the young and then elderly De La Beckwith, there is nothing to separate this from other courtroom dramas like "A Time to Kill" and countless others.The story is very compelling and emotional, as it's painful to remember what the south was like for blacks in the '60s, and thinking about this man getting away with murder is infuriating.The problem lay in the focus of the script, which is on De Laughter (Baldwin). It would have been more interesting and helpful to viewers -- now seeing this on DVD nearly 20 years after the movie was made, and 50 years after the incident -- to have learned more about Evers, and to see more of how it really was in the south for blacks, not just some footage at the beginning.Yes, Alec Baldwin was once adorable, as he is here. He's extremely likable and gives a straightforward, honest performance as a hard-working man, a loving father, and a determined attorney who wants to see this case through to the end. Whoopi Goldberg is an odd choice for Mrs. Evers, but an inspired one. She brings quiet dignity to the role that Myrlie Evers undoubtedly has in real life. The supporting cast is good.If this film were made today, the focus would be more on the Evers family. Times have changed. Like the ghost that De Laughter's daughter kept seeing in her room, ghosts who were victims of prejudice and hatred are still around, wanting their story to be told.
lamadrelrs
This excellent film tells the true story of a white southern prosecutor who has the courage to try to set right a gross miscarriage of justice that took place in the segregated South at the beginning of the Civil Rights movement 30 years earlier. Alec Balwin as prosecutor Bobby DeLaughter and James Woods as Brian De la Beckwith, the accused, give outstanding performances. Whoopi Goldberg shows her range as an actress portraying Myrlie Evers, widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers whose murder was never solved or prosecuted. Goldberg lets the viewer know that Mrs. Evers is a woman of great dignity, strength and faith.I was a young woman during the actual events that took place in Mississippi so long ago. At the time, I must not have paid much attention because none of this story was really familiar to me. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the DVD and watch it about three times a year. I have recommended the film to social studies teachers. The story serves a springboard for teaching opportunities. The artistic quality of the film never leaves the viewer feeling bored.Really good film.
