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IMDbPro

Ghosts of Mississippi

  • 19961996
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 10m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
11K
YOUR RATING
Whoopi Goldberg, James Woods, and Alec Baldwin in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
Theatrical Trailer from Castle Rock
Play trailer2:09
1 Video
55 Photos
  • Drama
  • History
A Mississippi district attorney and the widow of Medgar Evers struggle to finally bring a white racist to justice for the 1963 murder of the civil rights leader.A Mississippi district attorney and the widow of Medgar Evers struggle to finally bring a white racist to justice for the 1963 murder of the civil rights leader.A Mississippi district attorney and the widow of Medgar Evers struggle to finally bring a white racist to justice for the 1963 murder of the civil rights leader.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
11K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Rob Reiner
  • Writer
    • Lewis Colick
  • Stars
    • Alec Baldwin
    • James Woods
    • Whoopi Goldberg
Top credits
  • Director
    • Rob Reiner
  • Writer
    • Lewis Colick
  • Stars
    • Alec Baldwin
    • James Woods
    • Whoopi Goldberg
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 75User reviews
    • 28Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 2 wins & 9 nominations total

    Videos1

    Ghosts of Mississippi
    Trailer 2:09
    Ghosts of Mississippi

    Photos55

    Alec Baldwin in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    Whoopi Goldberg in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    Alec Baldwin and Craig T. Nelson in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    Whoopi Goldberg in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    William H. Macy in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    James Woods in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    Whoopi Goldberg and Alec Baldwin in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    James Woods in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    James Woods in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    Rob Reiner in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    Craig T. Nelson in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    Whoopi Goldberg in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Alec Baldwin
    Alec Baldwin
    • Bobby DeLaughteras Bobby DeLaughter
    James Woods
    James Woods
    • Byron De La Beckwithas Byron De La Beckwith
    Whoopi Goldberg
    Whoopi Goldberg
    • Myrlie Eversas Myrlie Evers
    Virginia Madsen
    Virginia Madsen
    • Dixie DeLaughteras Dixie DeLaughter
    Susanna Thompson
    Susanna Thompson
    • Peggy Lloydas Peggy Lloyd
    Craig T. Nelson
    Craig T. Nelson
    • Ed Petersas Ed Peters
    Lucas Black
    Lucas Black
    • Burt DeLaughteras Burt DeLaughter
    Joe Tello
    Joe Tello
    • Drew DeLaughteras Drew DeLaughter
    • (as Joseph Tello)
    Alexa PenaVega
    Alexa PenaVega
    • Claire DeLaughteras Claire DeLaughter
    • (as Alexa Vega)
    William H. Macy
    William H. Macy
    • Charlie Criscoas Charlie Crisco
    Ben Bennett
    • Benny Bennettas Benny Bennett
    • (as Lloyd 'Benny' Bennett)
    Darrell Evers
    • Selfas Self
    Yolanda King
    • Reena Eversas Reena Evers
    Jerry Levine
    Jerry Levine
    • Jerry Mitchellas Jerry Mitchell
    James Van Evers
    James Van Evers
    • Van Eversas Van Evers
    Sky Rumph
    • Jared Lloydas Jared Lloyd
    Zoaunne LeRoy
    • Thelma De La Beckwithas Thelma De La Beckwith
    Michael O'Keefe
    Michael O'Keefe
    • Merrida Coxwellas Merrida Coxwell
    • Director
      • Rob Reiner
    • Writer
      • Lewis Colick
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The daughter of civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Yolanda King, played Medgar Evers' daughter Reena Evers in this film.
    • Goofs
      When the DeLaughter and his investigators drive up to a gas station, the prices for gas are all under a dollar. When DeLaughter is on the phone to Myrlie Evers standing on the other side of the signs, the prices are all now over a dollar.
    • Quotes

      Myrlie Evers: [quoting Medgar Evers] When you hate, the only person who suffers is you, because most of the people you hate don't know it and the others don't care.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Evita/Beavis and Butt-Head Do America/One Fine Day/My Fellow Americans/Scream/Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free
      Music by Billy Taylor

      Lyrics by Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas

      Performed by Dionne Farris

      Courtesy of Columbia Records

      By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

    User reviews75

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    The Last Mile Of The Way
    Medgar Evers' tragic murder in Jackson, Mississippi, was overshadowed by the cold-blooded killing of three civil rights workers near Philadelphia, Mississippi, a year later. So too this film has been overshadowed by an earlier movie, "Mississippi Burning," about the Philadelphia homicides. I was even confused by the similar titles and accidentally rented "Ghosts of Mississippi," thinking it to be the earlier film. This is too bad because "Ghosts of Mississippi" is a winner all the way and Medgar Evers' assassination was as significant, if not more so, than the later dastardly acts of hate and malevolence.

    Most of my generation remember one of Dylan's early recordings he wrote called "Pawn in the Game" about the Medgar Evers murder in which Dylan asserts that the coward who pulled the trigger and shot the civil rights leader in the back in front of his wife and three children was carrying out what the racist elements in Mississippi and in the nation as a whole had brainwashed the simple mind into executing. That the endemic racism in American was the real perpetrator of the heinous deed which deprived our society of one of its gifted leaders. "Ghosts of Mississippi" concentrates more on the scumbag who squeezed the trigger, played with élan by James Woods, almost a carbon copy of the killer in both speech, mannerisms, and looks.

    James Woods is a member of a strong cast led by Whoopi Goldberg as the widow, Myrlie Evers, spending her life seeking a degree of justice for her husband and children. William H. Macy adds much needed humor in the role of Charlie Crisco, a member of the prosecution team. Unfortunately, his part is mainly limited to the middle section of the movie. Why director Rob Reiner and writer Lewis Colick decided to turn Macy's character into a cameo during the latter part of the film is unclear.

    A subplot in the film is the growing involvement of prosecutor Bobby DeLaughter (Alec Baldwin) in the case, opening his eyes not only to the past evils of the society in which he lives but also hostile residue left by the civil rights movement in the state. Married to the daughter of one of Mississippi's most racist judges causes him to be blind to much of the injustice prevalent around him. Significantly, his wife is named Dixie (Virginia Madsen). The change that takes place in his character (which also involves a change in wives) as he is drawn deeper into the thirty-year-old case is pinpointed by his inability to continue to sing "Dixie" to his daughter to chase away the ghosts she sees at night. In explaining to her that the song might actually be encouraging the ghosts to reappear in her bedroom, the two opt for "Old McDonald" as a more suitable goodnight song.
    helpful•15
    2
    • krorie
    • Sep 4, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 3, 1997 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Ghosts from the Past
    • Filming locations
      • Greenwood, Mississippi, USA
    • Production companies
      • Castle Rock Entertainment
      • Columbia Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $36,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $13,323,144
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $168,012
      • Dec 22, 1996
    • Gross worldwide
      • $13,323,144
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 10 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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