Ghosts of Mississippi
Ghosts of Mississippi film poster
Directed by	Rob Reiner
Produced by	Nicholas Paleologos Rob Reiner Andrew Scheinman Frederick Zollo
Written by	Lewis Colick
Starring	Alec Baldwin Whoopi Goldberg James Woods William H. Macy Craig T. Nelson
Music by	Marc Shaiman
Cinematography	John Seale
Editing by	Robert Leighton
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Released	December 20, 1996
Running time	130 min.
Language	English
Budget	$30,000,000 (estimated)
IMDb profile

Ghosts of Mississippi is a 1996 drama film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg and James Woods. The plot focuses on the 1994 trial of Byron De La Beckwith, the white supremacist accused of the 1963 assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. The original music score is composed by Marc Shaiman. Image File history File links Ghosts_of_mississippi. ... Rob Reiner as a young man Robert Rob Reiner (born March 6, 1947 in The Bronx, New York) is an American actor, director, producer, and writer. ... Rob Reiner as a young man Robert Rob Reiner (born March 6, 1947 in The Bronx, New York) is an American actor, director, producer, and writer. ... Baldwin in Beetlejuice Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958, in Massapequa, Long Island, New York, USA) is an American actor who is the oldest and best known of the Baldwin brothers, with brothers Daniel, Stephen and William. ... Sarafina movie poster featuring Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson, November 13, 1955), is an Academy Award-winning American film actress, comedian, and singer. ... James Woods James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. ... Publicity photo of William H. Macy William Hall Macy (born March 13, 1950) is an American actor, teacher, and director, in theatre, film, and television. ... Craig T. Nelson Craig Theodore Nelson (born April 4, 1944 in Spokane, Washington) is an American actor who has starred in television shows such as Coach and The District. ... Marc Shaiman (born October 22, 1959) is a composer and lyricist for films and theatre. ... John Seale (born October 5, 1942 in Warwick, Queensland, Australia) is an Australian cinematographer. ... The Columbia Pictures logo, since 1996. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... This is a list of film-related events in 1996. ... A drama is a film that depends mostly on in-depth character development, interaction, and highly emotional themes. ... Rob Reiner as a young man Robert Rob Reiner (born March 6, 1947 in The Bronx, New York) is an American actor, director, producer, and writer. ... Baldwin in Beetlejuice Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958, in Massapequa, Long Island, New York, USA) is an American actor who is the oldest and best known of the Baldwin brothers, with brothers Daniel, Stephen and William. ... Sarafina movie poster featuring Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson, November 13, 1955), is an Academy Award-winning American film actress, comedian, and singer. ... James Woods James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Byron De La Beckwith (November 9, 1920 – January 21, 2001) was an American white supremacist and the assassin of civil rights leader Medgar Evers on June 12, 1963 in Jackson, Mississippi. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Medgar Evers (July 2, 1925 – June 12, 1963) was an African American civil rights activist from Mississippi. ... Marc Shaiman (born October 22, 1959) is a composer and lyricist for films and theatre. ...

James Woods was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role of Byron De La Beckwith. James Woods James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. ... The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ...

Tagline: In 1963, civil rights leader Medgar Evers was murdered in his own driveway. For 30 years, his assassin has remained free. Is it ever too late to do the right thing?

Main cast

• Alec Baldwin - Bobby DeLaughter
• Whoopi Goldberg - Myrlie Evers
• James Woods - Byron De La Beckwith
• Virginia Madsen - Dixie DeLaughter
• William H. Macy - Charlie Crisco
• Susanna Thompson - Peggy Lloyd
• Bonnie Bartlett - Billie DeLaughter
• Diane Ladd - Caroline Moore
• Bill Cobbs - Charles Evers
• Craig T. Nelson - District Attorney Ed Peters
• Brock Peters - Wilter Williams
• Wayne Rogers - Morris Dees
• Terry O'Quinn - Judge Hilburn
• Ramon Bieri - James Holley

Baldwin in Beetlejuice Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958, in Massapequa, Long Island, New York, USA) is an American actor who is the oldest and best known of the Baldwin brothers, with brothers Daniel, Stephen and William. ... Sarafina movie poster featuring Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson, November 13, 1955), is an Academy Award-winning American film actress, comedian, and singer. ... Myrlie Evers-Williams (born 1933, nee Myrlie Beasley) is an African American activist, she was the first full-time chairman of the NAACP and is the widow of murdered civil rights leader Medgar Evers. ... James Woods James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. ... Byron De La Beckwith (November 9, 1920 – January 21, 2001) was an American white supremacist and the assassin of civil rights leader Medgar Evers on June 12, 1963 in Jackson, Mississippi. ... Virginia Madsen Virginia Madsen (born September 11, 1961) is an Academy Award nominated actress. ... Publicity photo of William H. Macy William Hall Macy (born March 13, 1950) is an American actor, teacher, and director, in theatre, film, and television. ... Susanna Thompson as Lenara Kahn in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... Bonnie Bartlett (born June 20, 1929 in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, but raised in Moline, Illinois) is an American television and film actress. ... Diane Ladd (born November 29, 1932 in Meridian, Mississippi) is an American television and film actress. ... Bill Cobbs (born June 16, 1935) is an African-American film actor. ... Charles Evers (b. ... Craig T. Nelson Craig Theodore Nelson (born April 4, 1944 in Spokane, Washington) is an American actor who has starred in television shows such as Coach and The District. ... Brock Peters delivering the eulogy at Gregory Pecks funeral Brock Peters (July 2, 1927 – August 23, 2005), born George Fisher in New York City, was an African American actor probably best known for the role in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird of Tom Robinson, the black man... Wayne Rogers (born in Birmingham, Alabama on 7 April 1933) is an American film and television actor, best known for playing the role of Trapper John McIntyre in the long-running U.S. television series, M*A*S*H. The show started in 1972 and he left it in 1975... Terry OQuinn as John Locke in the Television Series Lost Terry OQuinn (Born: Terrance Quinn on July 15, 1952 in Newberry, Michigan, USA) is an American actor. ... Ramon Bieri (born June 16, 1929; died May 27, 2001) is an American actor. ...

Plot summary

Medgar Evers is a black civil rights activist in Mississippi who was murdered by an assassin in 1963. It is later suspected that Byron De La Beckwith, a white supremacist, is the murderer and he would be tried twice and both trials ended in hung juries. In 1989, Evers' widow Myrlie has been trying to bring De La Beckwith to justice for over 25 years, and she believes she has what it takes to bring him to trial again. However, most of the evidence from the old trial have disappeared but Bobby DeLaughter, an assistant District Attorney, decides to do what he can to help her despite being warned that it might hurt his political aspirations and the strain it is causing his marriage. However, DeLaughter becomes more involved with bringing De La Beckwith to trial for the third time 30 years later. In 1994, Bryon De La Beckwith is found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Trivia

• Delmar Dennis (a key witness against Byron De La Beckwith) and his family can be seen as extras in the parade scene. At the film's end, a title card indicated that Bobby DeLaughter had run for a position as a judge and been defeated. That was true at the time. Subsequently, he was appointed to a judgement and later elected overwhelmingly to that position.
• Medgar Evers' two sons Darrell and James Van Evers played themselves in this film.
• Myrlie Evers was one of this film's consultants.
• This film was shot on location in Jackson, Mississippi.

Jackson skyline Motto: Nickname: The Best of the New South and The Bold, New City Map Political Statistics Founded 1822 Incorporated Hinds County Mayor Frank Melton Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 276. ...

Goofs

• Although the film begins in 1989 and ends in 1994, the same child actors portraying Bobby DeLaughter's children are used from the beginning of the movie until the end, showing no signs of aging.
• When Bobby DeLaughter interviews Charles Evers in his radio station, a bottle of Coke is visible. This bottle has the world cup symbol on it and so must have been a bottle from 1994 (the time of the trial), although this film was made in 1996.

Quotes

• Myrlie Evers: (quoting Medgar Evers) I don't know if I'm going to heaven or to hell, but I'm going from Jackson.
• Myrlie Evers: (quoting Medgar Evers) When you hate, the only person who suffers is you, because most of the people you hate don't know it and the others don't care.

External links

• Ghosts of Mississippi at The Internet Movie Database
• Ghosts of Mississippi at Rotten Tomatoes