My choice goes to Ghosts of Mississippi it's about the final trial of Byron De La Beckwith who murdered Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers in Jackson, Mississippi in 1963. After several mistrials due to piss-poor management by a racist judicial system, it seemed that Beckwith was going to get away with his crime...
...but time has a way of changing things, and in the early 90s, a final trial would be held. After scrounging up what little evidence and testimony they could, the District Attorney's office reopened the case lead by Bobby Delaughter. With the reopening of the case, old wounds of the South also opened up. Delaughter learned that racism still ran deep, and old feelings were not so dead and buried.
James Woods plays Beckwith far too convincingly (not surprising, he's an incredible actor), and it garnered him a nomination for a Golden Globe as well as an Oscar (he'd lose to Cuba Gooding, Jr.). Alec Baldwin gives an equally strong performance as ADA Bobby DeLaughter. Whoopi Goldberg rounded out the cast as Medgar's widow. William H Macy has a smaller role as one of the investigators teamed up with DeLaughter to try and piece together the case, Craig T Nelson plays the District Attorney, and a young Lucas Black (Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift, Friday Night Lights) as DeLaughter's eldest son Burt. Oh, and Wayne Rogers (Trapper John, M*A*S*H) makes a quick appearance as the Ever's family attorney!
I was up till midnight last night as this movie was on Ovation - I do not have it on DVD (shocking, I know!) and it's rarely on TV so I had to watch. I'm just sorry I didn't know it was on so I only got to watch the final half hour!
