The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and c... Read allThe extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 21 wins & 55 nominations total
- Henry Ross
- (as Antonio J. Bell)
- Miz Lucy
- (as Daphne Maxwell Reid)
The Rise of Cynthia Erivo
The Rise of Cynthia Erivo
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaHarriet Tubman really did experience visions as is depicted in the film. Many historians claim that this is likely due to a head injury she received in her youth.
- GoofsAfter the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, William Still gives a speech saying that it allows slave catchers to seek slaves in any state in the Union. Slave catchers were already able to retrieve slaves from the North, due to a law passed decades earlier. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 expanded the powers available to slave catchers, including forcing Northern law enforcement to aid them, and weakened the protections available to those accused of being escaped slaves, such as previous requirements that a suspect's status as a slave had to be verified in a jury trial.
- Quotes
Harriet: [to Gideon, at gunpoint] You'll die right here. On a frozen, blood-soaked battlefield, the moans of a generation of young men in your ears, dying in agony around you, for a lost cause. For a vile and wicked idea! For the sin of slavery! Can you hear them? God don't mean people to own people, Gideon! Our time is near!
- Crazy credits1800's type photographs of the cast with their names in the credits.
- ConnectionsFeatured in CTV News at Six Toronto: Episode dated 10 September 2019 (2019)
Cynthia Erivo, as Harriet Tubman, brings out something award-worthy. This actress of Broadway fame launches her star potential to greater heights as she perfectly captures Tubman's appearance on top of her distinguishing characteristics. The film is truly a vehicle for Cynthia's many talents. Other cast members include Leslie Odom Jr. as William Still and Janelle Monae as Marie. While Odom Jr.'s role is relatively one-note as someone Tubman sends runaways to, Monae adds heart to Marie as she settles Tubman for city life. As the film progresses, a heartbreaking scene sticks its landing due to the dynamic between the two.
Kasi Lemmons aptly directs, as the story is told chronologically. However, the cinematography does leave a little bit more to be desired, as it lacks nuance and something of interest, during extended dialogue-heavy scenes. Due to this, I felt the runtime and was left desiring the thrilling rescues that follow. It is worth mentioning that you must be interested in American history, or else you will truly remain bored during its two-hour runtime. My favorite scene is Tubman's first escape, because a thrilling scene follows where Tubman jumps downstream into the river rather than get captured. It is truly a testament to Tubman's courage and agility.
The message of this film is that Tubman always stands for justice and treats even her opponents fairly; really everything Tubman stands for speaks truth in heroic qualities. I give this film 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18 due to violence, thematic content and language, including racial slurs.
Reviewed by Arjun N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org.
- rannynm
- Oct 20, 2019
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $17,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $43,082,155
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $11,676,720
- Nov 3, 2019
- Gross worldwide
- $43,347,017
- Runtime2 hours 5 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1