Hello, Beautiful People!
Here is the synopsis from the Just Mercy Film website (you can also view the trailer there):
“Just Mercy” is based on the powerful and thought-provoking true story of young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the main testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings, as well as overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them.
This “review” will be a bit different because I haven’t actually seen the movie yet. I’ll tell you why, below.
“Just Mercy” came in with $9.7M its opening weekend which is a pretty healthy number given the genre of the movie. I’m posting about ”Just Mercy” because I think those unfamiliar with the case featured in the movie will be equally shocked and yet unsurprised by how little our country’s criminal “justice” system has progressed in the past 30, 40, 50 years and beyond. I encourage those who are unfamiliar with just how entrenched institutional racism is in our society to watch this film. It is sure to be an eye-opener (you might not even be able to blink for a few hours).
If you do not want to see another film about black people suffering through intense racism, I completely understand. I am in that mood myself, but I still wanted to support the film in whatever way I could, i.e. me posting this article. The fight for justice can get tiring. Just know that you’re not alone. I and the ColorFull Community are right there with you.
In ColorFull Solidarity,
CC
*Cover photo and excerpt courtesy of www.justmercyfilm.com
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