Two F.B.I. Agents with wildly different styles arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of some civil rights activists.Two F.B.I. Agents with wildly different styles arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of some civil rights activists.Two F.B.I. Agents with wildly different styles arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of some civil rights activists.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 17 wins & 24 nominations total
Videos3
Thomas B. Mason
- Judgeas Judge
- (as Tom Mason)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
Storyline
Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger agent trained in FBI school runs up against the small town ways of his former Sheriff partner. —Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>
- Taglines
- 1964. When America was at war with itself.
- Genres
- Certificate
- 16
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaThe film is inspired by the murder by the Ku Klux Klan of voting rights activists James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman.
- GoofsWhen the agents visit deputy Pell's house in the evening, he is watching baseball on television. In 1964, only afternoon games were televised on Saturday.
- SoundtracksTake My Hand Precious Lord
Words and Music by Thomas A. Dorsey
Performed by Mahalia Jackson
Courtesy of CBS Records
Top review
Explosive Drama
Two FBI agents go to Mississippi in 1964 to investigate the disappearance of three civil rights activists. Based on true events, this is an absorbing drama about one of the most explosive chapters of American history. Hackman is terrific as an agent who doesn't condone the racism, but understands the culture of hatred, having grown up in the South himself. Dafoe is equally good as a young agent who struggles to reconcile his idealistic views about justice with the reality he confronts. McDormand is also fine as the good wife of a redneck sheriff. Parker wisely uses a documentary approach to infuse the events with a sense of authenticity.
helpful•90
- kenjha
- Aug 12, 2011
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Three Lives for Mississippi
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $15,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $34,603,943
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $225,034
- Dec 11, 1988
- Gross worldwide
- $34,603,943
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