Video Capsule Review

A LESSON BEFORE DYING

Don Cheadle, Mekhi Phifer (1999, HBO, 101 mins., PG-13)

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Credits

Rated: PG-13; Genre: Drama

B-

By Gillian Flynn

In 1948 Louisiana, jaded schoolteacher Cheadle must help Phifer -- unjustly condemned for the murder of a white man -- face execution with dignity. Problem is, we get only a glimpse of Phifer pre-arrest in this Emmy-winning production, so there's no way to gauge his transformation. We do, thankfully, see Cheadle's -- from a man drained by racism to one grasping at a fragile renewal. Reel Goodies (1:16) In a film of big emotion, watch the quiet connection Phifer and Cheadle forge in this jail-cell scene. The Last Detail HBO has been good to Cheadle -- he was nominated for two Emmys, one for his performance here, another for his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr. in The Rat Pack. B-

Posted Sep 24, 1999

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Video Review A Lesson Before Dying | Gillian Flynn

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