On Thursday, November 21 at 7 p.m., the UW Madison Cinematheque presents an advance sneak preview of the new WB release, Just Mercy , starring Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson. The film is based on Bryan Stevenson’s powerful book, Just Mercy, which was the UW Madison Go Big Read selection in 2015-16.
From Cinematheque:
A powerful and thought-provoking true story that also inspired a nonfiction bestseller by Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy follows 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 only 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 and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them.
Hat tip to my colleague, Mary Jo Koranda.