Ghosts Of Mississippi (1996)
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A widow's decades-long quest for justice leads to a high-stakes legal battle to convict a white supremacist for the 1963 murder of a civil rights activist.
The story
Following the 1963 assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith, his widow, Myrlie Evers, spends over 25 years seeking justice. In 1989, a newspaper article exposing past jury tampering gives her hope for a new trial. Assistant District Attorney Bobby DeLaughter decides to help her despite potential risks to his career and personal life. He forms a team of investigators to navigate a case where much of the original evidence has vanished. The team faces numerous setbacks, including the death of key witnesses and the loss of court transcripts, as they struggle to build a case against De La Beckwith in a climate of significant opposition.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After the 1963 murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith, his widow Myrlie Evers spends over 25 years seeking justice. In 1989, a report on jury tampering leads her to believe a new trial is possible. Assistant District Attorney Bobby DeLaughter joins her cause despite personal and professional risks. The investigation faces hurdles, including missing evidence and deceased witnesses, until the discovery of the murder weapon and a hidden witness, Delmar Dennis, a former KKK member. Despite threats from white supremacist elements, DeLaughter remains committed. Myrlie provides a certified transcript of a previous trial to bolster the case. In 1994, De La Beckwith is found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. The film ends with Myrlie celebrating her victory at the courthouse.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 130
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Rob Reiner
- Writers
- Lewis Colick · writer
- Cast and characters
- Alec Baldwin · not specified; Whoopi Goldberg · not specified; James Woods · not specified; Craig T. Nelson · not specified
- Genres
- biographical; courtroom drama
- Themes
- justice; civil rights; perseverance
- Tone and mood
- serious; dramatic
- Setting
- Mississippi, 1963 to 1994
- Premise and plot tags
- legal drama; biographical; historical
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1994 trial of Byron De La Beckwith
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office disappointment, though the performances of Goldberg and Woods were praised.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 42% · review count: 31
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Awards · Best Supporting Actor · 69th · nomination; Academy Awards · Best Makeup · 69th · nomination
- Production trivia
- It is the final film for character actor Ramon Bieri.; The film was not a financial success, earning less than half of its budget.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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