Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)

The serious side of Whoopi
We all know and love the funny side of Whoopi. With this stellar performance Whoopi proves that The Colour Purple was not a one off. She brings the character to life with great compassion - hard to do in any story. Great to see if finally out on dvd

Excellent representation of the truth!
This movie very closely represents the truth of this story. The artists did a FABULOUS job and the historical data is relatively accurate so this is a timeless treasure for my collection. To READ an accurate account, purchase Bobby DeLaughter's Book "Never Too Late". It will provide a more detailed account that can't be captured in the movie.

Final closure to an important chapter in civil rights history
`Ghosts of Mississippi' is the story based on factual events of the final trial of the man who murdered civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963. He was tried twice before but both times the case ended in hung juries. It is also a portrait of enduring patience in the fact that his widow, Myrlie Evers, had to wait 30 years for final justice, all the while knowing that her husband`s assassin remained a free man.

I can't honestly think of too many movies where I have seen Alec Baldwin and Whoopi Goldberg give such impressive acting performances as compared to their work here. They both fit their roles perfectly and it shows. On the other end of the spectrum, James Woods, who also did an outstanding job, is so into his character that it is almost spooky. The way he behaves and delivers his lines just gives the impression that you're looking at total hate and evil personified in a man.

To compliment the acting, the movie moves along at a nice pace and portrays the difficulties of preparing a case that is 3 decades old along with the still unresolved issues of racism still evident in the Mississippi climate. As for the trial itself, this is also a tense atmosphere that adds realism and intrigue to the movie. If I had to make a comparison, and this being based on similar types of events, I would have to say that this film ranks up there with `Mississippi Burning' which is also an excellent movie in its own right.

`Ghosts of Mississippi' is a fine example of solid acting and directing coupled with a strong, thought provoking story. This film is very enjoyable all the way through and I recommend it to everyone.