Rosewood (1997)

A dramatization of a 1923 horrific racist lynch mob attack on an African-American community.

Director:

John Singleton

Writer:

Gregory Poirier

Stars:

Jon Voight, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle

3 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jon Voight	...	John Wright
Ving Rhames	...	Mann
Don Cheadle	...	Sylvester Carrier
Bruce McGill	...	Duke Purdy
Loren Dean	...	James Taylor
Esther Rolle	...	Aunt Sarah
Elise Neal	...	Beulah (Scrappie)
Robert Patrick	...	Lover
Michael Rooker	...	Sheriff Walker
Catherine Kellner	...	Fanny Taylor
Akosua Busia	...	Jewel
Paul Benjamin	...	James Carrier
Kevin Jackson	...	Sam Carter
Mark Boone Junior	...	Poly
Muse Watson	...	Henry Andrews

Storyline

Ving Rhames stars as Mann, a drifter caught in Rosewood, a town filled with racial prejudice. He ends up aiding the surviving African-Americans escape the town, with the help of a humble store owner played by Jon Voight.

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Plot Keywords:

train station | african american | lynch mob | death | manhunt | 

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Taglines:

In 1923, a black town in Florida was burned to the ground, its people murdered because of a lie. Some escaped and survived because of the courage and compassion of a few extraordinary people. This film is for them.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 February 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rosewood Burning

Filming Locations:

Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,154,075, 23 February 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$13,104,494, 4 May 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.,Peters Entertainment,New Deal Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Students from Eustis High School in Florida were asked if they and their families wanted to be extras in the film.

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Goofs

In the title sequence, the date is Thursday, December 31, 1922; in reality, that date was a Sunday.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Gertrude: G'mornin'.
Aunt Sarah: Good mornin', Sylvester.
Sylvester Carrier: Mornin', mama.
Aunt Sarah: Good mornin', Gertie.
Gertrude: Good mornin', Mama Sarah.
Aunt Sarah: Don't run with them eggs, Arnett!

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Connections

Referenced in Conversations with Hollywood: "Breaking In" the Writers Panel (2012)

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Soundtracks

Sylvester's Blues
Written by Wynton Marsalis
Produced by Delfeayo Marsalis
Performed by Eric Reed
Courtesy of Impulse Records

User Reviews

Based on a true story

It all started because of a lie.Rosewood is a quiet little town in Florida.One day a white woman lies that an Afro-American man raped her.That starts a war between the blacks and whites.Bunch of racists kill innocent black people. Ving Rhames plays Mann, a new comer in town who is hunted because he's black. Jon Voight plays John Wright, the only good white man in town who tries to safe the African-American community of the town.John Singleton's Rosewood from 1997 is amazing movie about the stupidity of people.This actually happened in 1923 which sounds unbelievable.How idiotic can people be?Some people still haven't learned.Here in Finland racism only seems to grow which makes me mad.Stop being idiots! There are some very touching moments in this movie.There are moments that may bring tears in your eyes.Acting work is brilliant in the movie.Jon Voight and Ving Rhames do very powerful role works.During Rosewood I had many feelings inside me.One of them was anger.I'm white and not always so proud of it.