A Lesson Before Dying (1999)
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.
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One of my all time favorites.
Good concept, poorly executed.
Absolutely the worst movie.
Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
a great american movie. typical american justice system. typical american mentality. typical american prejudice. typical american ignorance. typical american emotions. this is the "all american" movie of the year.
I read the book not that long ago, and had been trying for some time to locate this HBO version for some time. I finally recieved it as a Christmas present and watched it. It was fantastic! Screenwriter Ann peacock and director Joseph Sargent did a fantastic job bring Ernest Gaines' novel to the small screen. It's worth seeking out!
I thought this was a poor adaptation of an incredible book. I never felt for the characters in the movie the way I did when I read the book. Also, the dialogue seemed especially weak. And what's the deal with the Louis Armstrong accents? Very distracting.
While I do not consider myself an expert in recognizing various performers, I certainly can react to good plots and to well constructed story lines. Very heartwarming to the extent that I felt obligated to try to compensate for the wrongs unfairly committed in the past. Required viewing in an American history course. A people that cares for its minorities will not condone ethnic cleansing. I certainly believe all participants of this film must feel very proud. It merits rave reviews.