Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- somber
- serious
- morally urgent
- historical film night
- social justice discussion
What critics said
Critics found the subject moving and James Woods's performance convincing, but broadly faulted the film for filtering the civil rights story through an unconvincing white-redemption perspective.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story centers on the third prosecution of Byron De La Beckwith after two earlier hung juries and a thirty-year delay.
Bobby DeLaughter's growing involvement and alliance with Myrlie Evers drive the film's perspective on the case.
Beckwith remains free for decades after Medgar Evers's murder while repeated trials fail to produce a conviction.
The murder, trials, and later prosecution unfold against Mississippi's history of white supremacist violence.
Films like Ghosts of Mississippi, and why
The Hurricane
shared historical drama, courtroom investigation, racial injustice, and an earnest pursuit of accountability
A Time to Kill
shared civil rights history, courtroom drama, racial persecution, and moral urgency
Just Mercy
shared fact-based legal drama, institutional racism, and a determined challenge to entrenched injustice
Mississippi Burning
shared historical civil rights drama, racism depicted, and focus on the personal costs of social change
Movie Details
- Director
- Rob Reiner
- Release Date
- 1996-12-20
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (169)
Cast
- Alec Baldwin
- Whoopi Goldberg
- James Woods
- Craig T. Nelson
- Susanna Thompson
- Lucas Black
- Joseph Tello
- Alexa PenaVega
- William H. Macy
- Lloyd 'Benny' Bennett
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ghosts of Mississippi about?
- A determined prosecutor and a civil rights widow revive a decades-old murder case to challenge Mississippi’s legacy of racist impunity.
- What is Ghosts of Mississippi like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ghosts of Mississippi as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ghosts of Mississippi violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Ghosts of Mississippi as moderate.
- What did critics think of Ghosts of Mississippi?
- Critics found the subject moving and James Woods's performance convincing, but broadly faulted the film for filtering the civil rights story through an unconvincing white-redemption perspective.
- Which films are like Ghosts of Mississippi?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hurricane, A Time to Kill, Just Mercy, and Mississippi Burning.
- How long is Ghosts of Mississippi?
- Ghosts of Mississippi runs 130 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ghosts of Mississippi?
- In United States, Ghosts of Mississippi is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
