The Execution of Wanda Jean (2002)

The Execution of Wanda Jean chronicles the life-and-death battle of Wanda Jean Allen, the first black woman to be put to death in the United States in the modern era.

Director:

Liz Garbus

Stars:

Wanda Jean Allen, Jesse Jackson, David Presson

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Wanda Jean Allen	...	Herself
Jesse Jackson	...	Himself
David Presson	...	Himself

Storyline

The Execution of Wanda Jean chronicles the life-and-death battle of Wanda Jean Allen, the first black woman to be put to death in the United States in the modern era.

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Plot Keywords:

execution | lethal injection | funeral | clemency hearing | prison | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

I ektelesi tis Wanda Jean

Filming Locations:

McAlester, Oklahoma, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$1,386 (USA) (6 September 2002)

Gross:

$1,386 (USA) (6 September 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Moxie Firecracker Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

References The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

User Reviews

Interesting, but futile for a conservative like me

I happened to catch the movie on HBO tonight and just could not tear myself away from it. Don't get me wrong, the movie in no way changed my opinion on the death penalty, and only gave me further infuriation at defense lawyers, but it did give me a new perspective on one aspect of the death penalty that hadn't occurred to me before, the family of the murderer. I have no problem with the death of a murderer, and I certainly felt no sympathy for the lawyer who knew what he was getting in to and tried such things as the fact that Wanda Jean did not graduate from high school as a reason to get her a stay of execution, but I felt my heart deeply saddened for the Allen family. Much like the family of the victim, they did not want their kin to die, and their grief was so painful it was almost unbearable to watch. To be honest, it makes one strong case against the death penalty, the only one who is truly being punished is the family. With lethal injection, the murderer just calmly slips away, but their family has to live with it for the rest of their lives. The only real complaint I had about this movie (other than the cameo by Rev. Jesse Jackson) was that I thought it focused too much on the main lawyer, the filmmakers could have spent some more time focusing on the two families and Wanda Jean herself. 7/10