A Lesson Before Dying

This movie brought me to tears. It was honest, upright and well executed. It plunks us right in the middle of a serious situation, a situation where there are can hardy be winners. The absolute good thing about this movie is that it's not pointing a finger; it just shows the facts. There are no supernatural interferences, except maybe the realization of a friendship, the establishment of kinship and the acceptance of reality and how to cope with it in order to change it for the better.

Great movie, it gets 8 out of 10 from me. Recommended viewing.

A really great film, beautifully filmed and acted with excellent character development. Much better than Miss Evers' Boys which was made by the same director. I really liked all the characters in each of their roles, and the spectator's interest is maintained without fail during the whole of the film. Although it is a very sad and unjust story the emotion distilled is enough to keep the spectator riveted to his or her seat !

The story evolves around a black youth who is present during a shooting in a white owned grocery store. The owner is killed along with two black men. The young man decides to help himself to the contents of the cash register. Just as the crime is committed he is discovered and ends up being executed. The real story evolves around his feelings and those who were closest to him. The movie is done with the greatest sensitivity and understanding. The acting and directing could not be improved in showing the tragedy to both whites and blacks of the consequences of our prejudices.

I taped this film when it was on tv and come back to it every so often. It is very well done, superbly crafted, and the storytelling is excellent. But what keeps me watching is the performances, specifically Don Cheadles. This man is quite simply a great actor, he is where Denzel was ten years ago. Cicely Tyson remains one of our greatest assets, and the whole cast brings a sensitivity and authenticity to it that makes it sing. Worth watching with your kids, it has valuable lessons for us all.

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.