Ghosts from the Past (1996)
"Ghosts of Mississippi" (original title)

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:

From the director of A FEW GOOD MEN comes a compelling TRUE STORY.

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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

Although the film begins in 1989 and ends in 1994, the same child actors portraying Bobby DeLaughter's children are used from the beginning of the movie until the end, showing no signs of aging.

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Quotes

Bobby DeLaughter: I don't see what difference it makes if a man was bushwhacked yesterday, today, or 27 damn years ago. Murder is murder. And it's still my job to bring the son of a bitch to justice. And it's still your job to help me.
Delamar Dennis: No! I did my job. I testified against the Klan. They shot out my windows, blew up my car, they hunted and harassed me for twenty five years. Don't that get me even for the wrong I done?
Bobby DeLaughter: We never get even for the wrong we've done.

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Connections

Features Presumed Innocent (1990)

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Soundtracks

"Violin Concerto, Op. 8"
Written by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Budapest Strings
Courtesy of Naxos of America
By Arrangement with Source/Q

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!