The Best of Enemies

The incredible skill and range of Henson and Rockwell (long one of my favorite actors) is on display here in a story that needed to be told on the world stage (although the book had been out for some twenty years). I'm no SJW, but I'm glad we are getting more of these movies with real life examples of people coming together, especially when their backgrounds and motivations are so well explained. If it helps even a single extremist to change their ways, it was well worth it. For the rest of us it is an apt reminder of how things were not long ago, how much work still remains to be done, and how it CAN be done. Bravo.

The Best of Enemies is a movie, that on the surface, is about the integration of mixed cultures in school, but in reality is much more about people and change.

The film, cleverly in my opinion, stays away from cliched, cartoonish characters, choosing instead to have a more nuanced approach for its characters. It makes them people, with needs, concerns, beliefs and so on.

The result is an enjoyable film showing that with great courage, great things can be accomplished.

Any movie where you can be entertained and educated at the same time is always off to a good start in my opinion, recommended viewing :)

I actually had friends puzzled that I wanted to see this, because they told me it was a movie just for black people. It's worth seeing just to understand exactly how dumb that kind of comment is. The performances are outstanding. I love "based on true events" films anyway, and understand their limitations, so maybe I"m biased, but I think this is an important film..The sets captured that small town feel in the past south perfectly. Is it heavy handed at times? Sure, but it really shows how both characters changed their minds. I"m sorry it's not doing better. I missed seeing it last weekend and this weekend there were only two showings of it at my theater and expect it to be gone next week.

I was expecting something like hidden figures or the help. But it wasn't. Maybe because the story isn't told but showed. I disagree with previous reviews who say that the class struggle of Ellis or his struggle with the clan's hypocrisy is ignored. It isn't talked about but the outstanding performance of Rockwell doesn't need talk, with one look he says more than with a Shakespeare monologue. The setting created by Bissel speaks for itself too. Beautifull story that left me in tears of joy.

Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell were tremendous in this film. Sammy has always been a true actor and steals the scenes.