Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)

The widow of murdered civil rights leader Medger Evers and a district attorney struggle to finally bring the murderer to justice.

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writer:

Lewis Colick

Stars:

Alec Baldwin, James Woods, Virginia Madsen

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alec Baldwin	...	Bobby DeLaughter
James Woods	...	Byron De La Beckwith
Virginia Madsen	...	Dixie DeLaughter
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Myrlie Evers
Susanna Thompson	...	Peggy Lloyd
Craig T. Nelson	...	Ed Peters
Lucas Black	...	Burt DeLaughter
Joseph Tello	...	Drew DeLaughter
Alexa Vega	...	Claire DeLaughter
William H. Macy	...	Charlie Crisco
Ben Bennett	...	Benny Bennett (as Lloyd 'Benny' Bennett)
Darrell Evers	...	Himself
Yolanda King	...	Reena Evers
Jerry Levine	...	Jerry Mitchell
James Van Evers	...	Van Evers

Storyline

Ghosts of Mississippi is a drama covering the final trial of Byron De La Beckwith (Woods), the assassin of the 1960s civil rights leader Medgar Evers. It begins with the murder and the events surrounding the two initial trials which both ended in hung juries. The movie then covers District Attorney, Bobby De Laughter's (Baldwin) transformation and alliance with Myrlie Evers (Goldberg), the widow of Medgar Evers, as he becomes more involved with bringing Beckwith to trial for the third time 30 years later. Some of the characters are played by the actual participants in this story.

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Plot Keywords:

trial | widow | civil rights | murder | 1960s | 

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Taglines:

In 1963 civil rights leader Medgar Evers was murdered in his own driveway. For 30 years his assassin has remained free. Is it ever too late to do the right thing?

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for a strong scene of violence and for racial dialogue

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fantasmas del pasado

Filming Locations:

Greenwood, Mississippi, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$36,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

ITL 233,067,000 (Italy) (28 February 1997)

Gross:

$13,052,741 (USA) (14 March 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment, Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In his speech heard at the beginning, President John F. Kennedy uses the word "delay" twice. "Delay" is the character's Byron De La Beckwith's nickname, used by his friends and acquaintances throughout the film.

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Goofs

When Bobby's father calls to his grandchildren to come get some of the baby-back ribs he's cooking on the grill, the kids come running off the boat dock. They start running in age order, with the boy in the light orange shirt second. But when the camera changes, the boy in the orange shirt is suddenly first.

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Quotes

[Addressing the jury in summation]
Bobby DeLaughter: Today, thirty years later, I'm asking you twelve ladies and gentlemen to act boldly; to hold this defendant accountable and find him guilty... simply because it is right, it is just, and Lord knows, it is time. Is it ever too late to do the right thing?

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Connections

Features In Cold Blood (1967)

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Soundtracks

"I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free"
Music by Billy Taylor
Lyrics by Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas
Additional arrangement by Marc Shaiman, Dan Higgins and Mervyn Warren
Performed by Nina Simone
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label of BMG Entertainment

User Reviews

Average Fare...

Rob Reiner's 'Ghosts Of Mississippi' is a golden opportunity, gone wrong. Though based on a disturbing yet moving story, the on-screen interpretation doesn't hold you completely.

'Ghosts Of Mississippi' is based on the true story of the 1994 trial of Byron De La Beckwith, a white supremacist accused of the 1963 assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers.

Rob Reiner knows his job. He is a very talented storyteller, and his direction even in here is good. But, the writing has many loopholes. As mentioned, the true-story, doesn't get it's due. The writing in the first hour doesn't work and bores. Sure, the climax is dramatic & effective, but the damage is already done by then. John Seale's Cinematography is alright.

Peroformance-Wise: Alec Baldwin as Bobby DeLaughter does fairly well. James Woods is very impressive as the conniving Byron De La Beckwith, while Whoopi Goldberg as Myrlie Evers is fair. Virginia Madsen is wasted. William H. Macy and Craig T. Nelson are okay. Others lend able support.

On the whole, A golden opportunity gone wrong. At best, An Average Fare!