Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe and Frances McDormand in the Alan Parker movie ‘Mississippi Burning’

The movie Mississippi Burning (1988) originates its sense of setting with the 1964 murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael ‘Mickey’ Schwerner. For a historical account of their disappearance and murders near the town of Philadelphia, Mississippi, you may review this description. Mississippi Burning was woven into a crime thriller with two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents investigating the disappearance of three civil rights workers in fictional Jessup County. The hostility encountered from the town’s residents, local police, and the Ku Klux Klan launches a police procedural that becomes the story.

(From left, Willem Dafoe as FBI agent Alan Ward (based on Joseph Sullivan) and Gene Hackman as FBI agent Rupert Anderson (based on John Proctor) in the Alan Parker movie Mississippi Burning).

The movie begins with an introduction to one black and two Jewish civil rights workers tasked with helping African Americans register for voting. The three disappear, which sufficiently alarms the national organizations supporting the workers to contact the FBI. Agents Alan Ward and Rupert Anderson, as portrayed by Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman, respectively, are dispatched to work in a reluctant local community to get to the truth and bring a sense of justice to a situation bent in a decidedly different direction. The FBI agents have a decidedly different approach for engaging the people in the local community.

(From left, Brad Dourif as Deputy Sheriff Clinton Pell (based on Cecil Price) and Gailard Sartain as Ray Stuckey, Sheriff of Jessup County (based on Lawrence A. Rainey) in the Alan Parker movie Mississippi Burning).

The difficulty engaging the community begins with the fanatical presence of the Ku Klux Klan, which has penetrated the police where the disappearances occurred. The black community is afraid lives in legitimate fear while the white community sees and / or administers the hate and abuse rampant in the town. Jessup County Sheriff Ray Stuckey and Deputy Sheriff Clinton Pell, as portrayed Gailard Sartain and Brad Dourif, respectively, are prominent leaders in this underlying truth.

(Frances McDormand as Mrs. Pell (as based on Conner Price, standing) and Park Overall as Connie (seated) in the Alan Parker movie Mississippi Burning).

A fair portion of the investigative portion of the movie offers insight into the differing approaches for learning the fate of the civil rights workers. The older FBI agent Rupert Anderson and the more senior FBI agent Alan Ward have distinctly different styles, wherein the more by-the-book approach reigns supreme from the start of the movie. This really ruffles the elder field agent, and the exposition for how this works out really offers credit to the storytelling, if not the historical accuracy, of the movie. While the absence of significant focus on the black population in the storytelling is a problem for some, the incorporation of Mrs. Pell and Connie, as portrayed by Frances McDormand and Park Overall, has it merits.

(From left, Darius McCrary as Aaron Williams and Lou Walker as Vertis Williams in the Alan Parker movie Mississippi Burning).

The break that ends the law enforcement tension above happens with a cost. Aaron and Vertis Williams, as portrayed by Darius McCrary and Lou Walker, respectively, suffer at a key point that brings about a swift transition in approach that may or may not be decisive. That this shift occurs is emotionally satisfying, whether Ward and Anderson actually come to appreciate each other afterward or not.

(From left, R. Lee Ermey as Mayor Tilman, Stephen Tobolowsky as Clayton Townley (based on Samuel Bowers) and Michael Rooker as Frank Bailey (based on Alton Wayne Roberts) in the Alan Parker movie Mississippi Burning).

Zeroing in on the community dedication to participating in or tacitly approving of it, outside the local police, included businessman Clayton Townley, Mayor Tilman and believer Frank Bailey. Stephen Tobolowsky, R. Lee Ermey and Michael Rooker portrayed Townley, Tilman and Bailey, respectively. That an attempt to connect the dots with these three, plus Lester Cowens (based on Jimmy Snowden), was an appreciated touch in the portrayed story. Pruitt Taylor Vince portrayed Lester Cowens.

(Actor Gene Hackman and director Alan Parker on location for the Alan Parker movie Mississippi Burning).

There is so many interesting choices made in the movie that we receive with Mississippi Burning. The choices in what to include and exclude thematically, both from the historical sense and then from the emotional sense of helping folks feel the importance of the story were solid. The decision not to take the perspective of the aggrieved parties themselves further, or the aggrieved class of people further, is interesting as a limitation; my sense is that the movie still works despite not going further. Additionally, the depth of the cast that told the story included additionally needs to be called out as a recommendation for this movie. I grant Mississippi as directed by Alan Parker 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, February 26, 2022

Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman, Brooke Langton and the Howard Deutch movie ‘The Replacements’

With the respective kickoffs of professional American football this weekend in the United States as well as college football last weekend, we thought it would be fun to laugh with the Howard Deutch sports comedy movie The Replacements (2000).

(From left, Brooke Langton as Annabelle Farrell and Keanu Reeves as Shane Falco #16 in the Howard Deutch movie The Replacements).

The Replacements begins with a fictional professional football league football game featuring quarterback Eddie Martel, as portrayed by Brett Cullen, leading the fictional Washington Sentinels on a drive, pulling up short on his effort in costing the team the game. The Sentinels are based in Washington DC, and team owner Edward O’Neil, portrayed by Jack Warden, is none too happy. This happens to be the last game before a player strike brings about the concept of replacement players for the final four games of the regular season.

(From left, Gene Hackman as Jimmy McGinty, Jack Warden as Edward O’Neil and Brett Cullen as Eddie Martel #7 in the Howard Deutch movie The Replacements).

O’Neil brings in former Sentinels coach Jimmy McGinty, as portrayed by Gene Hackman, to assemble a replacement squad and whip them into playing shape in a week. McGinty recruits the team, a real ragtag bunch of misfits with marginally professional talent and a misfit set of personalities. Leading the way is quarterback Shane Falco, as portrayed by Keanu Reeves. Annabelle Farrell, as portrayed by Brooke Langton, is asked to assemble a replacement cheerleading squad at the same time.

(From left, Jon Favreau as Daniel “Danny” Bateman #56, Rhys Ifans as Nigel Gruff #3, Orlando Jones as Clifford Franklin #81 and David Denman as Brian Murphy #86 in the Howard Deutch movie The Replacements).

Daniel Bateman, as portrayed by Jon Favreau, joins the team as the middle linebacker and defensive leader for the team. Kicker Nigel Gruff is portrayed by Rhys Ifans. Wide receiver Clifford Franklin is portrayed by Orlando Jones as deaf tight end Brian Murphy is portrayed by David Denman. The professional stylings of cheerleading candidates Dawn and Heather, as portrayed by Sarah Ann Morris and Caroline Keenan, respectively, add some humor accessible for many.

(From left, Caroline Keenan as Heather and Sarah Ann Morris as Dawn in the Howard Deutch movie The Replacements).

This movie has comedic heart that is good for a laugh. Actors Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman add star power to the cast with a story that gives you what you are willing to bring to the story. I give The Replacements as directed by Howard Deutch 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, September 11, 2021