I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Overrated

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Having just finished the novel, I was excited to watch this film. I had seen a lot of people rent it over the years, and knew the quality of the cast, so I was eager to enjoy it. Unfortunately, the cheap production, poorly written script, flat direction, and over-dramatic score really hamper what could have been a great film. This is a film that hits you over the head with emotion, rather than letting it seep through in nuance. We are constantly told, through histrionic music and stage sized acting, what we are supposed to feel. If the film was black and white, it would fit perfectly into the 1950's melodrama genre. The actors in this film are playing caricatures rather than characters with back story and motivations. This film is too broad, too overplayed, and too cursory. This is a wonderful story that deserves a director who truly understands the material and knows the world the events are set in. Hopefully, with remakes being the all the rage, this novel will get a new chance to shine on screen.

This film is about a black man wrongly convicted of murder in America back in the 40's. A teacher unwillingly starts to visit him, and forms a bond that change them both forever."A Lesson Before Dying" is a great film. The character portrayal and their dialogs consistently shine. The supportive Vivian's lines are positive and encouraging, and she evokes strength and courage in others. Her line about how "Everytime a black little one is born, they hope he is the one" is heartbreaking. It encapsulates their desperate despair and their remote hope all in a few words.Edna Guidry, though a minor character, is very memorable because of her pretentious and superficial dialogs. When there is clearly an agenda in the tea meeting, she keeps on saying irrelevant things and keeps on ordering the maid to bring more alcohol. It shows how severe and scathing the discrimination is towards black people in those days. Grant Wiggins' bond with Jefferson is developed convincingly. Though this bond is brief, its effect is everlasting. I also find the struggle of faith in the film portrayed well.The whole story in very convincing and touching. It keeps me wanting to know more. It is powerful. "A Lesson Before Dying" should earn just as much recognition as "Dead Man Walking".

This would have been a very good movie if the acting were better. The script could have used some help also. The ideas are good. First of all Mr Cheadle was not believable and his romance was not too plausable either. This was a movie that counted on the audience to add up the pieces and take a lot for granted. It didn't really show the transformations depicted. We knew they were supposed to happen so they did but I really didn't feel the charactors making the changes I just new what would happen and it did.

I taped this film when it was on tv and come back to it every so often. It is very well done, superbly crafted, and the storytelling is excellent. But what keeps me watching is the performances, specifically Don Cheadles. This man is quite simply a great actor, he is where Denzel was ten years ago. Cicely Tyson remains one of our greatest assets, and the whole cast brings a sensitivity and authenticity to it that makes it sing. Worth watching with your kids, it has valuable lessons for us all.