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A Lesson Before Dying
In the 1940s South, an African-American man is wrongly accused of the killing a a white store owner. In his defense, his white attorney equates him with a lowly hog, to indicate that he didn't have the sense to know what he was doing. Nevertheless convicted, he is sentenced to die, but his godmother and the aunt of the local schoolteacher convince school teacher go to the convicted man's cell each day to try to reaffirm to him that he is not an animal but a man with dignity.
| Release : | 1999 |
| Rating : | 6.7 |
| Studio : | Spanky Pictures, HBO Films, Ellen M. Krass Productions, |
| Crew : | Director, Producer, |
| Cast : | Don Cheadle Cicely Tyson Mekhi Phifer Irma P. Hall Brent Jennings |
| Genre : | Drama TV Movie |
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Reviews
Let's be realistic.
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
This would have been a very good movie if the acting were better. The script could have used some help also. The ideas are good. First of all Mr Cheadle was not believable and his romance was not too plausable either. This was a movie that counted on the audience to add up the pieces and take a lot for granted. It didn't really show the transformations depicted. We knew they were supposed to happen so they did but I really didn't feel the charactors making the changes I just new what would happen and it did.
This movie is a great work, and hopefully has made it's way into our history education here in the states. The only negative I can find concerning this movie, is that such events occur in our world. Like life, the happy ending is all to often, only a barely tolerable out come to an injustice. Most times it's not even that. I vote a full board on this one, from cast and crew, to content and style
This was a beautiful, touching movie. The title seems only to refer to the wrongly convicted man, but I found it to involve all the characters. Though Jefferson learned a lot about believing in himself from Grant, Grant also learned about faith from Jefferson. We viewers learned a lot from all of these characters.
A "Lesson Before Dying" is a powerful and passionate film, so beautifully written and so beautifully acted it is one of those rare exceptions where the film adaptation is better than the book. The entire cast is wonderful, and many awards should await them all. Cycely Tyson and Irma P. Hall are amazing and moving as two women whose strength,love and dignity guide through the pain. Mehki Phifer,gives a powerful performance as Jefferson, a young man sentenced to die for a crime he did not commit. He truly brings honesty and humanity to a young man who is seen by white society as inhuman. And Don Cheadle brings compassionate and dignity to the teacher who must help Jefferson stand tall.I can't say enough about "A Lesson Before Dying." The injustice committed will anger you, the fate of Jefferson will sadden you, but ultimately knowing these people and sharing in their lives, and seeing dignity and love rise from the ashes of a cruel and uncaring world make the anger and sadness worth it all.This film should not be missed. And if you don't cry by the end, you better take a trip to Oz with Dorothy and the Tin Man, because you don't have a heart.
