4 Little Girls (1997)

A documentary of the notorious racial terrorist bombing of an African American church during the Civil Rights Movement.

Director:

Spike Lee

Stars:

Maxine McNair, Walter Cronkite, Chris McNair

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Maxine McNair	...	Herself - Mother of Denise McNair
Chris McNair	...	Himself - Father of Denise McNair
Helen Pegues	...	Herself - Denise's Aunt
Queen Nunn	...	Herself - Neighbor of Denise McNair
Arthur Hanes Jr.	...	Himself - Defense Attorney for Bob Chambliss
Howell Raines	...	Himself - New York Times Editor
Harold McNair	...	Himself - Denise's Uncle
Carole C. Smitherman	...	Herself - Denise's Childhood Friend (as Carole C. Smitherman Esq.)
Wamo Reed Robertson	...	Herself - Carole's Aunt
Dianne Braddock	...	Herself - Carole's Sister
Carolyn Lee Brown	...	Herself - Carole's Childhood Friend
Alpha Robertson	...	Herself - Mother of Carole Robertson
Wyatt Tee Walker	...	Himself - Former Executive Director of SCLC
Fred Lee Shuttlesworth	...	Himself - Pres. of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
Florence Terrell	...	Herself - School Teacher

Storyline

This film recounts the people and events leading up to the one of the most despicable hate-crimes during the height of the civil-rights movement, the bombing of the 16th Street Church in Birmingham, Alabama. In that attack, four little African-American girls lost their lives and a nation was simultaneously revolted, angered and galvanized to push the fight for equality and justice on.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | civil rights | civil rights movement | bombing | church | 

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Taglines:

The story of four young girls who paid the price for a nation's ignorance.

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 July 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

4 маленькие девочки

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,528, 13 July 1997, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$130,146, 28 September 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was inducted into the Library of Congress' National Film Registry on December 13, 2017, the day after Doug Jones, the US Attorney who prosecuted the trial, was elected to the Senate.

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Quotes

Wyatt Tee Walker: So we made the decision based on several things. Fred Shuttlesworth was fearless and courageous to the point of being almost insane; miraculously surviving a bombing of his home. Had taking his wife and two children trying to integrate a school with a mob of five or six hundred folks with chains and stuff like that; just an incredible human being in my view.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Contact/This World, Then the Fireworks/A Simple Wish/4 Little Girls/The Big Sleep/Shall We Dance? (1997)

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Soundtracks

Birmingham Sunday
Joan Baez

User Reviews

Solid Documentaryof a tragic event

This is a great documentary which speaks to the central battles of the civil rights movement and the still present racism in America. Wide range of interview subjects from family members, politicians and those who covered the story when it happened. Spike Lee's work elicits strong emotions at times but also leaves you to provide your own conclusions as well. Recommended along with dramatized movies such as Ghosts of Mississippi, Mississippi Burning and the little watched A Long Walk Home. Watch these to learn something of the darker side of American history and decide for yourself how far we have come in the last forty years.