Mandela

There are many actors who have portrayed Nelson Mandela through the years. If you want to see Danny Glover play the famous South African leader while he was still imprisoned (that's right; this movie was made in 1987), try to find a copy of the 3-hour tv-movie Mandela. There is a certain suspense lost when you go back and watch it now, because you know about the happy ending in real life. But try to put on your 1987 goggles for better appreciation of this movie.

This does feel a little lengthy, so don't expect a PBS one-hour docudrama. You'll see Danny/Mandela age decades, with a great deal of attention paid to more than a few life events. We see his introduction to his future wife (played by Alfre Woodard), as well as their courtship and strength through the difficult years of their marriage. Both Danny and Alfre nail the difficult South African accent, and if you like their chemistry together, check them out in 1991's Grand Canyon. Some of this movie might feel like a repeat of history class, but to reiterate: remember when it was made. Just imagine how it would feel to watch a biopic of Barack Obama that was made and released in 2006. Informative, but a little anticlimactic, right? But if you like Danny Glover (and who doesn't), you can give this one a shot to see him portray one of the great leaders of our time.