Danielle Deadwyler is offering her thoughts on Hollywood and systemic racism after she missed out on a 2023 Academy Award nomination for her role as Mamie Till-Mobley, mother to Emmett Till, in director Chinonye Chukwu’s film Till.
Deadwyler was a guest on Kermode & Mayo’s Take in an episode of the podcast released Thursday. During the conversation, the actress was asked about Chukwu posting to Instagram on Jan. 24 about “unabashed misogyny towards Black women” after the film did not receive any Oscar nominations earlier that day.
The actress said she agreed with the director and went on to describe “residual effects” of systemic racism in both a governmental and societal capacity. She mentioned that Gone With the Wind star Hattie McDaniel was unable to sit with her white co-stars when she became the first Black person to win an Oscar at the 1940 ceremony, and Deadwyler added that it should be...
Deadwyler was a guest on Kermode & Mayo’s Take in an episode of the podcast released Thursday. During the conversation, the actress was asked about Chukwu posting to Instagram on Jan. 24 about “unabashed misogyny towards Black women” after the film did not receive any Oscar nominations earlier that day.
The actress said she agreed with the director and went on to describe “residual effects” of systemic racism in both a governmental and societal capacity. She mentioned that Gone With the Wind star Hattie McDaniel was unable to sit with her white co-stars when she became the first Black person to win an Oscar at the 1940 ceremony, and Deadwyler added that it should be...
- 2/10/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director Chinoye Chukwu has taken to Instagram to share her thoughts on the Oscar snub of her film “Till”.
“Till” depicts the historically significant story of 14-year-old Black American Emmet Till’s brutal murder in 1955 and his mother Mamie Till Mobley’s fight for justice.
Despite receiving SAG and BAFTA nominations for lead actress Danielle Deadwyler, the film did not receive any nominations in any category at the 95th Academy Awards.
Read More: Whoopi Goldberg Responds To Body Criticism Of ‘Till’: ‘That Was Not A Fat Suit’
Chukwu shared a photo of her smiling with civil rights activist Myrlie Evers-Williams, who actress Jayme Lawson portrays in “Till”.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Chinonye Chukwu (@chinonyechukwu)
“We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women,” Chukwu wrote alongside the photo.
“Till” depicts the historically significant story of 14-year-old Black American Emmet Till’s brutal murder in 1955 and his mother Mamie Till Mobley’s fight for justice.
Despite receiving SAG and BAFTA nominations for lead actress Danielle Deadwyler, the film did not receive any nominations in any category at the 95th Academy Awards.
Read More: Whoopi Goldberg Responds To Body Criticism Of ‘Till’: ‘That Was Not A Fat Suit’
Chukwu shared a photo of her smiling with civil rights activist Myrlie Evers-Williams, who actress Jayme Lawson portrays in “Till”.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Chinonye Chukwu (@chinonyechukwu)
“We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women,” Chukwu wrote alongside the photo.
- 1/25/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
‘Till’ Director Chinonye Chukwu Slams ‘Unabashed Misogyny Towards Black Women’ Following Oscars Snub
To director Chinonye Chukwu, the Academy Awards snub of “Till” only makes the historical film more relevant.
Chukwu, who was among the many female contenders shut out of the Best Director category, took to Instagram to address Hollywood’s reception of her feature charting Mamie Till-Mobley’s fight for justice following her son Emmett Till’s murder. The film has received SAG and BAFTA nominations for lead actress Danielle Deadwyler but was not recognized by the 95th Academy Awards in any category.
“We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women,” Chukwu wrote. “And yet, I am forever in gratitude for the greatest lesson of my life: Regardless of any challenges or obstacles, I will always have the power to cultivate my own joy, and it is this joy that will continue to be...
Chukwu, who was among the many female contenders shut out of the Best Director category, took to Instagram to address Hollywood’s reception of her feature charting Mamie Till-Mobley’s fight for justice following her son Emmett Till’s murder. The film has received SAG and BAFTA nominations for lead actress Danielle Deadwyler but was not recognized by the 95th Academy Awards in any category.
“We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women,” Chukwu wrote. “And yet, I am forever in gratitude for the greatest lesson of my life: Regardless of any challenges or obstacles, I will always have the power to cultivate my own joy, and it is this joy that will continue to be...
- 1/25/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Till writer-director Chinonye Chukwu called out “unabashed misogyny towards Black women” after her film was notably left out of the 2023 Oscar nominations, with star Danielle Deadwyler missing out on the best actress nod many experts predicted she’d receive for her portrayal of Emmett Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley.
“We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women,” Chukwu wrote in part on Instagram Tuesday.
Still, she tried to find her own happiness in the Oscar disappointment.
“I am forever in gratitude for the greatest lesson of my life – regardless of any challenges or obstacles, I will always have the power to cultivate my own joy, and it is this joy that will continue to be one of my greatest forms of resistance,” Chukwu wrote.
Her comments accompanied a picture of the director with civil rights activist Myrlie Evers-Williams,...
“We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women,” Chukwu wrote in part on Instagram Tuesday.
Still, she tried to find her own happiness in the Oscar disappointment.
“I am forever in gratitude for the greatest lesson of my life – regardless of any challenges or obstacles, I will always have the power to cultivate my own joy, and it is this joy that will continue to be one of my greatest forms of resistance,” Chukwu wrote.
Her comments accompanied a picture of the director with civil rights activist Myrlie Evers-Williams,...
- 1/24/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tosin Cole was larking about on the set of the Warner Bros House Party reboot in Los Angeles when an email dropped from casting director Kim Coleman (BlacKkKlansman) about Emmett Till’s story.
“I was like, ‘I’m filming for months non stop, I want to go home,’ ” he recalls thinking. “They wanted me to go for Medgar Evers, and I was like, ‘I don’t know who that is. Let me think about it.’ “
His agent brought him up short telling him, “No, you got to do it. At least send a tape.”
“I was like, ‘I’m doing night shifts in LA. I don’t know when I’ll have time,’ ” he worried.
That’s when Barbara Broccoli, an executive producer of Uar’s Till, zinged him a message saying, “We’d love to have you on board, if you can.”
That missive sharpened Cole’s mind.
Besides...
“I was like, ‘I’m filming for months non stop, I want to go home,’ ” he recalls thinking. “They wanted me to go for Medgar Evers, and I was like, ‘I don’t know who that is. Let me think about it.’ “
His agent brought him up short telling him, “No, you got to do it. At least send a tape.”
“I was like, ‘I’m doing night shifts in LA. I don’t know when I’ll have time,’ ” he worried.
That’s when Barbara Broccoli, an executive producer of Uar’s Till, zinged him a message saying, “We’d love to have you on board, if you can.”
That missive sharpened Cole’s mind.
Besides...
- 1/14/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
My mission to get Till made is a 29-year promise fulfilled. The reality of seeing something that I’ve wanted for my entire adulthood come to life has been both overwhelming and frightening. I realize the subject matter is not an easy one, and I was afraid that bringing this story out at this time of global racial fatigue could detract from my reasons for wanting to make this film in the first place — to awaken the consciousness for change, because the injustice that befell Emmett Louis Till in 1955 is still among us today.
I grew up Black in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I learned about the murder of Emmett Louis Till when I was 10 years old while looking through an old Jet magazine in my parents’ study. So, I was always aware of his story and how it was used as a cautionary tale about the racism that still exists.
I grew up Black in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I learned about the murder of Emmett Louis Till when I was 10 years old while looking through an old Jet magazine in my parents’ study. So, I was always aware of his story and how it was used as a cautionary tale about the racism that still exists.
- 1/12/2023
- by Keith Beauchamp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Till is a biographical drama directed by Chinonye Chukwu starring Danielle Deadwyler.
Premise
Fourteen year-old Emmet Till travels from Chicago to Mississippi on vacation to spend time with relatives. Tragedy strikes as young Emmet is beaten and shot to death by white supremacists, and his body is thrown into a river. Mamie Till Mobley, his mother, will relentlessly pursue justice. Till insists on showing the world what atrocity has been committed, first by allowing the media to publish images of her sons severely mutilated body, then fighting for justice to be served to the killers.
Till (2022) Movie Review
A movie that brings us the story of Till’s fight for justice. It is impossible not to be moved by this movie, and being a story that is based on real life events, it successfully conveys its purpose, or purposes. To bring the story up and close to people, and to...
Premise
Fourteen year-old Emmet Till travels from Chicago to Mississippi on vacation to spend time with relatives. Tragedy strikes as young Emmet is beaten and shot to death by white supremacists, and his body is thrown into a river. Mamie Till Mobley, his mother, will relentlessly pursue justice. Till insists on showing the world what atrocity has been committed, first by allowing the media to publish images of her sons severely mutilated body, then fighting for justice to be served to the killers.
Till (2022) Movie Review
A movie that brings us the story of Till’s fight for justice. It is impossible not to be moved by this movie, and being a story that is based on real life events, it successfully conveys its purpose, or purposes. To bring the story up and close to people, and to...
- 11/26/2022
- by Diane T. Larsen
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Echoes of Emmett Till’s murder in Jim Crow Mississippi in 1955 grew increasingly harder to ignore when 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s killer George Zimmerman was acquitted back in 2013. Since then, Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, has channeled her grief and disappointment into fighting social injustice. It’s a role Emmett’s mother Mamie Till Mobley also played until her death at age 81 in 2003. “Till,” premiering at the New York Film Festival, tells the story of how she got there.
While the ABC limited series “Women of the Movement” — starring Tony winner Adrienne Warren as Mamie Till Mobley — recently covered some of this ground, “Till” places unparalleled focus on Emmett’s mother. In the process, we learn so much about him, prompting us to feel his loss even more intensely.
Jalyn Hall (“All American”) strikes the right chord as Emmett; through his mother’s eyes, we see the boy, the human,...
While the ABC limited series “Women of the Movement” — starring Tony winner Adrienne Warren as Mamie Till Mobley — recently covered some of this ground, “Till” places unparalleled focus on Emmett’s mother. In the process, we learn so much about him, prompting us to feel his loss even more intensely.
Jalyn Hall (“All American”) strikes the right chord as Emmett; through his mother’s eyes, we see the boy, the human,...
- 10/2/2022
- by Ronda Racha Penrice
- The Wrap
Frankie Faison (The Wire), Jayme Lawson (The Batman), Tosin Cole (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Kevin Carroll (The Leftovers), Sean Patrick Thomas (Barbershop), John Douglas Thompson (Mare of Easttown) and Roger Guenveur Smith (Self Made: Inspired by the Life Of Madam C.J Walker) will join Danielle Deadwyler, Whoopi Goldberg and Jalyn Hall in Chinonye Chukwu’s feature Orion Pictures release, Till about Emmett Louis Till. The movie is currently filming in Atlanta.
Till tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley (Deadwyler), whose pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son Emmett Louis Till (Hall) became a galvanizing moment that helped lead to the creation of the civil rights movement. As Time Magazine reported, “…thanks to a mother’s determination to expose the barbarousness of the crime, the public could no longer pretend to ignore what they couldn’t see.” Mamie’s decision to have an open casket at Emmett’s funeral,...
Till tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley (Deadwyler), whose pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son Emmett Louis Till (Hall) became a galvanizing moment that helped lead to the creation of the civil rights movement. As Time Magazine reported, “…thanks to a mother’s determination to expose the barbarousness of the crime, the public could no longer pretend to ignore what they couldn’t see.” Mamie’s decision to have an open casket at Emmett’s funeral,...
- 10/11/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
MGM’s Orion Pictures’ film “Till,” starring Danielle Deadwyler, Whoopi Goldberg and Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till, has rounded out its cast.
Frankie Faison, Jayme Lawson, Tosin Cole, Kevin Carroll, Sean Patrick Thomas, John Douglas Thompson and Roger Guenveur Smith have boarded the project, directed by Chinonye Chukwu. “Till” is currently filming in Atlanta, with the full cast pictured above.
“Till” tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley (Deadwyler), chronicling her decision to have an open casket at Emmett’s funeral and allowing Jet magazine to publish David Jackson’s funeral photos in order to ensure people everywhere saw the true horrors of her son’s murder. The decision from the grieving mother was a galvanizing moment that led to the creation of the civil rights movement. Goldberg is set to portray Till’s grandmother, Alma Carthan.
Chuwku also wrote the screenplay for the film, about a mother’s pursuit of justice,...
Frankie Faison, Jayme Lawson, Tosin Cole, Kevin Carroll, Sean Patrick Thomas, John Douglas Thompson and Roger Guenveur Smith have boarded the project, directed by Chinonye Chukwu. “Till” is currently filming in Atlanta, with the full cast pictured above.
“Till” tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley (Deadwyler), chronicling her decision to have an open casket at Emmett’s funeral and allowing Jet magazine to publish David Jackson’s funeral photos in order to ensure people everywhere saw the true horrors of her son’s murder. The decision from the grieving mother was a galvanizing moment that led to the creation of the civil rights movement. Goldberg is set to portray Till’s grandmother, Alma Carthan.
Chuwku also wrote the screenplay for the film, about a mother’s pursuit of justice,...
- 10/11/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
You want to have awards’ success? Get your legal briefs in order. A slew of movies with trials at their center have been Oscar contenders, racking up multiple wins and nominations. And for good reason. The genre is rich with emotions, betrayals, manipulations, love, hate, violence and redemption. This season, there is a lot of Oscar buzz for Aaron Sorkin’s well-received legal drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
The 2002 musical extravaganza “Chicago” won six Oscars including Best Picture and Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Five years later Tilda Swinton won a supporting actress Oscar for the acclaimed “Michael Clayton.” Tony Gilroy’s smart legal thriller earned a lucky seven bids, including film, screenplay and director for Gilroy and actor for George Clooney.
Let’s take a look back at 10 other films that were able to turn Oscar buzz into Academy Award nominations and wins:
“The Verdict” (1982)
Twenty-five years after...
The 2002 musical extravaganza “Chicago” won six Oscars including Best Picture and Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Five years later Tilda Swinton won a supporting actress Oscar for the acclaimed “Michael Clayton.” Tony Gilroy’s smart legal thriller earned a lucky seven bids, including film, screenplay and director for Gilroy and actor for George Clooney.
Let’s take a look back at 10 other films that were able to turn Oscar buzz into Academy Award nominations and wins:
“The Verdict” (1982)
Twenty-five years after...
- 11/19/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
I am a proud, sixth-generation, born-and-raised Mississippian. I’ve traveled around the world singing songs, and though I hang my hat in Tennessee, I tell people I’m from Mississippi. And for all the pride I feel as a Mississippian, I also feel a twinge of anxiety when the word Mississippi leaves my lips.
For as far back as I can tell, there have been two Mississippis.
The Mississippi I know and love sounds like Charley Pride’s voice, Marty Stuart’s Telecaster, and B.B. King’s Lucille. It tastes...
For as far back as I can tell, there have been two Mississippis.
The Mississippi I know and love sounds like Charley Pride’s voice, Marty Stuart’s Telecaster, and B.B. King’s Lucille. It tastes...
- 6/30/2020
- by Charlie Worsham
- Rollingstone.com
Whoopi Goldberg celebrates her 63rd birthday on November 13, 2018. The actress, comedian, and talk show host has had one of the most varied careers in show business and has even achieved the Egot, which has come to symbolize success across the board in all mediums.
Goldberg won her Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for the film “Ghost.” She had previously been nominated for her screen debut for Steven Spielberg in “The Color Purple” and stood a good chance at becoming the first African-American woman to win Best Actress, but controversy surrounding the film’s depiction of black men scared voters away from the film and it lost all 11 of its nominations.
Goldberg’s Emmy wins both came for daytime work. Her first win was for hosting a documentary about Hattie McDaniel of “Gone With the Wind,” the Best Supporting Actress for that film. She also won a second Emmy for her...
Goldberg won her Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for the film “Ghost.” She had previously been nominated for her screen debut for Steven Spielberg in “The Color Purple” and stood a good chance at becoming the first African-American woman to win Best Actress, but controversy surrounding the film’s depiction of black men scared voters away from the film and it lost all 11 of its nominations.
Goldberg’s Emmy wins both came for daytime work. Her first win was for hosting a documentary about Hattie McDaniel of “Gone With the Wind,” the Best Supporting Actress for that film. She also won a second Emmy for her...
- 11/13/2018
- by Robert Pius and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Ava DuVernay's "Selma" is a wonderful film, a moving and powerful tribute to the American civil rights pioneers who helped bring about tremendous changes to their nation. Along with the likes of Nobel Laureate Martin Luther King Jr., a large number of equally committed individuals fought for the rights of their community against injustice.
One of the key participants of that Bloody Sunday that occurred on the Edmund Pettus Bridge was the Reverend Hosea Williams, member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and close associate with Dr. King. In the film he is played by Wendell Pierce, himself a vocal champion for justice and a tremendous talent to boot. As one of the backbone players on shows such as "The Wire" and "Treme," with "Selma" Pierce brings out some of his trademark wit and that exquisite baritone voice.
Moviefone Canada spoke with Pierce about his involvement in the film,...
One of the key participants of that Bloody Sunday that occurred on the Edmund Pettus Bridge was the Reverend Hosea Williams, member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and close associate with Dr. King. In the film he is played by Wendell Pierce, himself a vocal champion for justice and a tremendous talent to boot. As one of the backbone players on shows such as "The Wire" and "Treme," with "Selma" Pierce brings out some of his trademark wit and that exquisite baritone voice.
Moviefone Canada spoke with Pierce about his involvement in the film,...
- 12/31/2014
- by Jason Gorber
- Moviefone
To kick off his second term as Potus, President Barack Obama took the oath of office on the steps of the nation's Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Martin Luther King Day. The star-studded historic event featured performances from Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor and touching words from the likes of civil rights activist Myrlie Evers and the president himself. So, what were the big moments from the president's inauguration? And which stars braved the chilly weather to see it? We've got all the details, right here! • President Obama's Speech: With more than 700,000 people in attendance, according to the Chicago Tribune, the president called for national unity...
- 1/21/2013
- E! Online
After being sworn into office during a private ceremony on Sunday, President Barack Obama publicly began his second term during Monday's presidential inauguration on the Capitol Steps. With the crowd - which was estimated at roughly 800,000 people - chanting "O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma!" the President began his address. "My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment," he said, "and we will seize it - so long as we seize it together." Beyoncé closed out the 57th inaugural ceremony with an a powerful rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner." And Kelly Clarkson performed a stirring "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" accompanied by the United States Marine Band.
- 1/21/2013
- by Maggie Coughlan
- PEOPLE.com
The First Lady looked more beautiful than ever with her hair worn down, showcasing her brand new bangs for the 57th Presidential Inauguration January 21, 2013. Do You love her hair & makeup? Sound off!
Michelle Obama, 49, was nothing short of perfection for the swearing-in of her husband’s second presidential inauguration. The First Lady debuted brand new bangs a few days before the event and is wearing the full fringe so well! President Obama used the first public remarks of his second term to address what he called the “most significant” event of this weekend: his wife’s much-talked-about new haircut. “I love her bangs,” Obama told supporters at an inaugural reception at the National Building Museum. “She looks good. She always looks good.”
First lady Michelle Obama unveiled her new haircut in a White House photo released last Thursday for her 49th birthday. Michelle bangs have been the hottest topic of the inaugural celebration.
Michelle Obama, 49, was nothing short of perfection for the swearing-in of her husband’s second presidential inauguration. The First Lady debuted brand new bangs a few days before the event and is wearing the full fringe so well! President Obama used the first public remarks of his second term to address what he called the “most significant” event of this weekend: his wife’s much-talked-about new haircut. “I love her bangs,” Obama told supporters at an inaugural reception at the National Building Museum. “She looks good. She always looks good.”
First lady Michelle Obama unveiled her new haircut in a White House photo released last Thursday for her 49th birthday. Michelle bangs have been the hottest topic of the inaugural celebration.
- 1/21/2013
- by Jennifer Tzeses
- HollywoodLife
President Barack Obama will have a Miss Independent and an Independent Women performer helping him celebrate the 57th Presidential Inauguration. Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Clarkson are scheduled to perform along with another music icon.
James Taylor will join the ladies on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 21, 2013 for the big event. "Vice President [Joe] Biden and I are honored to have these wonderfully talented musical artists perform at the Inaugural ceremony,” the president said in a statement on Wednesday. "Their music is often at the heart of the American story and speaks to folks across the country."
Related: Actors Who've Played Presidents
So, what will these ladies and gentleman be performing? Beyonce will take on the National Anthem, Clarkson will belt out My Country Tis of Thee while Taylor will sing America the Beautiful.
Related: Who Did the Stars Vote For?
According to the White House press statement, Obama was involved...
James Taylor will join the ladies on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 21, 2013 for the big event. "Vice President [Joe] Biden and I are honored to have these wonderfully talented musical artists perform at the Inaugural ceremony,” the president said in a statement on Wednesday. "Their music is often at the heart of the American story and speaks to folks across the country."
Related: Actors Who've Played Presidents
So, what will these ladies and gentleman be performing? Beyonce will take on the National Anthem, Clarkson will belt out My Country Tis of Thee while Taylor will sing America the Beautiful.
Related: Who Did the Stars Vote For?
According to the White House press statement, Obama was involved...
- 1/9/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
Beyoncé will perform at Barack Obama's inauguration later this month. The singer, who campaigned for Obama alongside her husband Jay-z, will perform the National Anthem at the ceremony on January 21, People reports. The singer will be joined by Kelly Clarkson, who offered support for Obama before the election despite being a "Republican at heart" and will sing 'My Country 'Tis of Thee' at the event. Meanwhile, James Taylor will appear to sing 'America The Beautiful'. The invocation will be given by journalist Myrlie Evers-Williams, (more)...
- 1/9/2013
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
Michelle Obama works out to her music - plus, she's no stranger to the White House - so it's only fitting this year that Beyoncé will be front and center at President Barack Obama's inauguration. The R&B superstar will be performing the National Anthem at the Jan. 21 ceremony, which will take place at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, the Presidential Inaugural Committee tells People. And she will be joined by an equally auspicious roster of singers: Kelly Clarkson will perform "My Country 'Tis of Thee" this year (that honor went to Aretha Franklin ... and her...
- 1/9/2013
- PEOPLE.com
President Obama has selected Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of slain civil rights icon Medgar Evers, to deliver the invocation at his public swearing-in on Jan. 21, which also happens to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Evers-Williams is a former chair of the NAACP and has written several books about her and her husband’s civil rights work. Medgar Evers was shot and killed at his Mississippi home in 1963 by a white supremacist, sparking national outcry. His murderer was finally convicted in 1994, after new evidence was brought to trial. The story was also turned into the 1996 film Ghosts of Mississippi, with Whoopi Goldberg portraying Myrlie Evers.
Evers-Williams is a former chair of the NAACP and has written several books about her and her husband’s civil rights work. Medgar Evers was shot and killed at his Mississippi home in 1963 by a white supremacist, sparking national outcry. His murderer was finally convicted in 1994, after new evidence was brought to trial. The story was also turned into the 1996 film Ghosts of Mississippi, with Whoopi Goldberg portraying Myrlie Evers.
- 1/8/2013
- by Erin Strecker
- EW.com - PopWatch
Myrlie Evers-Williams released an essay today championing Best Picture Academy Award nominee The Help as “this year’s most outstanding and socially relevant motion picture." Entitled “The Help, a Cultural Touchstone,” Evers-Williams celebrated the film’s accomplishment of “challenging viewers to walk the journey” of “African-American maids in the then-staunchly segregated Mississippi." Photo And Video Gallery: Academy Awards 2012: The Nominees Evers-Williams is a longtime civil rights journalist and activist who recently presented actress Viola Davis with an Outstanding Performer of the Year award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for her performance
read more...
read more...
- 2/14/2012
- by Todd Gilchrist
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
At the height of awards season, at the 27th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of slain Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers, presented actress Viola Davis with the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award Friday, celebrating her performance as African American housemaid Aibileen Clark in Tate Taylor’s adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's bestselling portrait of 1963 Mississippi, "The Help." (Evers' murder is depicted in the film.) "The Help" "reminded me of the personal sorrows from a painful time in my life," Evers-Williams said. "I was an eyewitness to the abominations that occurred in that time and...
- 1/29/2012
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Association of Black Women Historians released a statement today, urging fans of both the best-selling novel and the new movie The Help to reconsider the popular tale of African American maids in 1960s Jackson, Miss., who risk sharing their experiences with a young white journalist. “Despite efforts to market the book and the film as a progressive story of triumph over racial injustice, The Help distorts, ignores, and trivializes the experiences of black domestic workers,” the statement read.
The group of scholars took issue with novelist Kathryn Stockett’s use of “black” dialect, her nearly uniform portrayal of black men as cruel or absent,...
The group of scholars took issue with novelist Kathryn Stockett’s use of “black” dialect, her nearly uniform portrayal of black men as cruel or absent,...
- 8/12/2011
- by Karen Valby
- EW - Inside Movies
Chicago – The search for the right actress to portray the pivotal role of Minny in the new film “The Help” ended with Octavia Spencer. The veteran performer was key in expressing the particulars of the character, which was enhanced by director Tate Taylor.
Both Spencer and Tate were in town recently to promote The Help, each expressing their path to the film. Octavia Spencer has been working since the 1990s, best known for playing Constance Grady on the TV series “Ugly Betty.” Tate Taylor is also an actor, and had previously directed only one other feature (”Pretty Ugly People”) before landing the job of adapting Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel into a screenplay, and then directing the stellar cast.
Jessica Chastain as Celia and Octavia Spencer as Minny in ‘The Help’
Photo credit: ‘Uncle Dale’ Robinette for DreamWorks Pictures
HollywoodChicago talked to Octavia Spencer and Tate Taylor together, and each...
Both Spencer and Tate were in town recently to promote The Help, each expressing their path to the film. Octavia Spencer has been working since the 1990s, best known for playing Constance Grady on the TV series “Ugly Betty.” Tate Taylor is also an actor, and had previously directed only one other feature (”Pretty Ugly People”) before landing the job of adapting Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel into a screenplay, and then directing the stellar cast.
Jessica Chastain as Celia and Octavia Spencer as Minny in ‘The Help’
Photo credit: ‘Uncle Dale’ Robinette for DreamWorks Pictures
HollywoodChicago talked to Octavia Spencer and Tate Taylor together, and each...
- 8/9/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Wives of Iconic Black LeadersBehind Every Great Man......There is a great woman. These are women who have sometimes sacrificed their personal ambitions not only for their husbands, but for the greater good of us all. As we celebrate Black History Month, we take a look at the women behind some of our most iconic leaders, from Coretta Scott King to Michelle Obama.Betty ShabazzAlso known as Betty X, Betty Shabazz was married to prominent civil rights activist Malcolm X. The two met at a dinner party and Betty was instantly impressed with her future husband. They had six daughters together -- Attallah, Qubilah, Ilyasah, Gamilah, Malikah and Malaak.Betty Shabazzfter her husband's assassination in 1965, Shabazz made a life-changing pilgrimage to Mecca. She earned her doctorate in 1975 and became an associate professor of health sciences at Medgar Evers College in 1976. Throughout her life, Shabazz was an active volunteer with the...
- 2/7/2011
- Essence
Allison Strong, Union City, N.J.I remember my first print audition like it was yesterday: I was 11 and thought I was so cool for leaving class early to go into the city. I wore my favorite outfit: a cute orange tank top with a sparkly new pair of jeans from Kids R'Us. I would have to walk into the studio alone because the odds of finding parking in Manhattan were about as good as the odds for winning the Mega Millions jackpot. Terrified, I walked in to see the tan, blue-eyed model I envied from the Limited Too catalogs waiting on line. She had a huge color portfolio, an agent logo on her résumé, and all the confidence in the world. I had one black-and-white headshot, no agent logo, and, suddenly, a lot of doubt. I never felt more uncomfortable in my body than in that moment. No matter...
- 6/4/2010
- backstage.com
NAACP Image Award nominee and Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose and bestselling author and actor Hill Harper will host the 41St NAACP Image Awards, broadcast live from Los Angeles' historic Shrine Auditorium, Friday, Feb. 26 (8:00-10:00 Pm Et live/Pt tape- delayed) on Fox. Additionally, Jamie Foxx, Lenny Kravitz, Regina King, Taraji P. Henson, Myrlie Evers Williams, Adam Rodriguez, Sherri Shepherd, Mo'Nique, Morgan Freeman, Sandra Bullock, Gabourey Sidibe, Alfre Woodard, Mariah Carey, Mekhi Phifer and Tatyana Ali, among others, are scheduled to appear on the special. Previously announced honorees include Tyler Perry, who will receive the Chairman's Award, and Wyclef Jean, who will receive the Vanguard Award.
- 2/23/2010
- BroadwayWorld.com
Jamie Foxx, Lenny Kravitz, Regina King, Taraji P. Henson, Myrlie Evers Williams, Adam Rodriguez, Sherri Shepherd, Mo.Nique, Morgan Freeman, Sandra Bullock, Gabourey Sidibe, Alfre Woodard, Mariah Carey, Mekhi Phifer and Tatyana Ali will join Hill Harper and Anika Noni Rose for the 41st NAACP Image Awards. NAACP Image Award nominee and Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose and bestselling author and actor Hill Harper will host the awards, broadcast live from Los Angeles. historic Shrine Auditorium, Friday, Feb. 26 (8:00-10:00 Pm Et live/Pt tape-delayed) on Fox. Previously announced honorees include Tyler Perry, who will receive the Chairman.s Award, and Wyclef Jean, who will receive the Vanguard Award. .Anika Noni Rose and Hill Harper are a part of a...
- 2/23/2010
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Film review: 'Ghosts of Mississippi'
In February 1994, justice was finally served for Myrlie Evers -- a mere three decades after the fatal shooting of her husband, civil-rights activist Medgar Evers, and the two mistrials that left his killer, Byron De La Beckwith, a free man.
Faithfully documenting the events leading up to the white supremacist's ultimate conviction, Rob Reiner's "Ghosts of Mississippi" is a well-intentioned but dramatically unsatisfying motion picture experience.
There is certainly an intriguing story to be told here, but unfortunately it isn't the one Reiner and screenwriter Lewis Colick ("Unlawful Entry") have chosen to tell. By focusing almost entirely on the trials and tribulations of Bobby DeLaughter -- the white assistant district attorney who took on the Evers case -- and the toll it took on DeLaughter's family, while relegating the Myrlie Evers angle to the sidelines, the film resonates a been-there, done-that familiarity, particularly in light of the summer's "A Time to Kill".
The result is a finely acted, technically proficient piece that falls frustratingly short of the Oscar caliber to which it obviously aspires -- James Woods' scenery-nibbling portrayal of De La Beckwith being the sure-fire exception. In boxoffice terms, the "Ghosts" verdict will likely be delivered in favor of a respectful but not overwhelming audience response.
After a prologue set in 1964 during the minutes leading up to Evers' murder as his wife (Whoopi Goldberg) and children watched a televised civil rights speech by President Kennedy, the story fast-forwards to the late 1980s, when DeLaughter (Alec Baldwin) is assigned to the Evers case. After initially little to go on, DeLaughter is able to reconstruct the events of the past.
At the same time, his progressive immersion in the case costs him his marriage to Dixie (Virginia Madsen), whose father was the presiding judge in an earlier De La Beckwith trial, while leaving his family open to terrorist threats. Shaken but remaining undeterred, DeLaughter sees the case through to its courtroom finale, closing an unpleasant chapter of the South's checkered history.
Handed his most heroic lead since originating the Jack Ryan character in "The Hunt for Red October", Baldwin seizes the opportunity, playing DeLaughter with an earnest, sympathetic conviction. Still, his closing courtroom arguments never reach the emotional crescendo required, but the blame could also be shouldered by Colick's script, which opts for accuracy over dramatic license.
Likewise Goldberg, as Myrlie Evers, is solemnly passionate in what amounts to a series of extended cameos instead of what should have been a more evenly represented story. By keeping the spotlight on DeLaughter, we're robbed of getting a glimpse of the motivation that kept Evers' fight alive for more than 30 years.
Only Woods is able to completely transcend the staid material and layers of latex (masterfully applied by make-up artists Matthew Mungle and Deborah La Mia Denaver) as 73-year-old De La Beckwith.
Bill Cobbs also does some standout work as Evers' DJ brother, Charlie; the Evers' sons, Darrell and Van, play themselves in the film, while Yolanda King, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., plays their sister, Reena.
As has come to be expected in Rob Reiner pictures, production values are pristine, with director of photography John Seale, production designer Lilly Kilvert, costume designer Gloria Gresham and composer Marc Shaiman lending their superb talents.
GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI
Sony Pictures Releasing
Columbia Pictures
Castle Rock Entertainment
A Frederick Zollo Production
A Rob Reiner Film
Producer-director Rob Reiner
Screenplay Lewis Colick
Producers Frederick Zollo,
Nicholas Paleologos, Andrew Scheinman
Executive producers Jeffrey Stott,
Charles Newirth
Director of photography John Seale
Production designer Lilly Kilvert
Editor Robert Leighton
Costume designer Gloria Gresham
Music Marc Shaiman
Casting Jane Jenkins, Janet Hirshenson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Bobby DeLaughter Alec Baldwin
Myrlie Evers Whoopi Goldberg
Byron De La Beckwith James Woods
Ed Peters Craig T. Nelson
Charlie Crisco William H. Macy
Peggy Lloyd DeLaughter Susanna Thompson
Merrida Coxwell Michael O'Keefe
Jim Kitchens Bill Smitrovich
Morris Dees Wayne Rogers
Caroline Moore Diane Ladd
Dixie Moore DeLaughter Virginia Madsen
Running time -- 123 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Faithfully documenting the events leading up to the white supremacist's ultimate conviction, Rob Reiner's "Ghosts of Mississippi" is a well-intentioned but dramatically unsatisfying motion picture experience.
There is certainly an intriguing story to be told here, but unfortunately it isn't the one Reiner and screenwriter Lewis Colick ("Unlawful Entry") have chosen to tell. By focusing almost entirely on the trials and tribulations of Bobby DeLaughter -- the white assistant district attorney who took on the Evers case -- and the toll it took on DeLaughter's family, while relegating the Myrlie Evers angle to the sidelines, the film resonates a been-there, done-that familiarity, particularly in light of the summer's "A Time to Kill".
The result is a finely acted, technically proficient piece that falls frustratingly short of the Oscar caliber to which it obviously aspires -- James Woods' scenery-nibbling portrayal of De La Beckwith being the sure-fire exception. In boxoffice terms, the "Ghosts" verdict will likely be delivered in favor of a respectful but not overwhelming audience response.
After a prologue set in 1964 during the minutes leading up to Evers' murder as his wife (Whoopi Goldberg) and children watched a televised civil rights speech by President Kennedy, the story fast-forwards to the late 1980s, when DeLaughter (Alec Baldwin) is assigned to the Evers case. After initially little to go on, DeLaughter is able to reconstruct the events of the past.
At the same time, his progressive immersion in the case costs him his marriage to Dixie (Virginia Madsen), whose father was the presiding judge in an earlier De La Beckwith trial, while leaving his family open to terrorist threats. Shaken but remaining undeterred, DeLaughter sees the case through to its courtroom finale, closing an unpleasant chapter of the South's checkered history.
Handed his most heroic lead since originating the Jack Ryan character in "The Hunt for Red October", Baldwin seizes the opportunity, playing DeLaughter with an earnest, sympathetic conviction. Still, his closing courtroom arguments never reach the emotional crescendo required, but the blame could also be shouldered by Colick's script, which opts for accuracy over dramatic license.
Likewise Goldberg, as Myrlie Evers, is solemnly passionate in what amounts to a series of extended cameos instead of what should have been a more evenly represented story. By keeping the spotlight on DeLaughter, we're robbed of getting a glimpse of the motivation that kept Evers' fight alive for more than 30 years.
Only Woods is able to completely transcend the staid material and layers of latex (masterfully applied by make-up artists Matthew Mungle and Deborah La Mia Denaver) as 73-year-old De La Beckwith.
Bill Cobbs also does some standout work as Evers' DJ brother, Charlie; the Evers' sons, Darrell and Van, play themselves in the film, while Yolanda King, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., plays their sister, Reena.
As has come to be expected in Rob Reiner pictures, production values are pristine, with director of photography John Seale, production designer Lilly Kilvert, costume designer Gloria Gresham and composer Marc Shaiman lending their superb talents.
GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI
Sony Pictures Releasing
Columbia Pictures
Castle Rock Entertainment
A Frederick Zollo Production
A Rob Reiner Film
Producer-director Rob Reiner
Screenplay Lewis Colick
Producers Frederick Zollo,
Nicholas Paleologos, Andrew Scheinman
Executive producers Jeffrey Stott,
Charles Newirth
Director of photography John Seale
Production designer Lilly Kilvert
Editor Robert Leighton
Costume designer Gloria Gresham
Music Marc Shaiman
Casting Jane Jenkins, Janet Hirshenson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Bobby DeLaughter Alec Baldwin
Myrlie Evers Whoopi Goldberg
Byron De La Beckwith James Woods
Ed Peters Craig T. Nelson
Charlie Crisco William H. Macy
Peggy Lloyd DeLaughter Susanna Thompson
Merrida Coxwell Michael O'Keefe
Jim Kitchens Bill Smitrovich
Morris Dees Wayne Rogers
Caroline Moore Diane Ladd
Dixie Moore DeLaughter Virginia Madsen
Running time -- 123 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 12/15/1996
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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