Film Snail

7.7

Mississippi Burning

R·1988·128m

Drama

Crime

Drama

Crime

Summary

Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger agent trained in FBI school runs up against the small town ways of his partner, a former sheriff.

Cast

Gene Hackman

Agent Rupert Anderson

Willem Dafoe

Agent Alan Ward

Frances McDormand

Mrs. Pell

Brad Dourif

Deputy Clinton Pell

R. Lee Ermey

Mayor Tilman

Gailard Sartain

Sheriff Stuckey

Stephen Tobolowsky

Townley

Michael Rooker

Frank Bailey

Pruitt Taylor Vince

Lester Cowens

Badja Djola

Agent Monk

Kevin Dunn

Agent Bird

Frankie Faison

Eulogist

Thomas B. Mason

Judge (as Tom Mason)

Geoffrey Nauffts

Goatee

Rick Zieff

Passenger

Christopher White

Black Passenger

Gladys Greer

Hattie

Jake Gipson

Mose

Dianne Lancaster

Waitress

Stanley W. Collins

Hollis

Daniel Winford

Fennis

Marc Clement

Floyd Swilley

Larry Shuler

Earl Cooke

Stephen Bridgewater

Wesley Cooke

Bob Penny

Curtis Foy

James F. Moore

Barber

Park Overall

Connie

Georgia F. Wise

Beauty Parlor Woman 1

Lois Allen

Beauty Parlor Woman 2

Barry Davis Jim, Sr.

Choctaw Man

Dan Desmond

Television Commentator (voice)

Darius McCrary

Aaron Williams

Lou Walker

Vertis Williams

Billie Jean Young

Mrs. Williams

Alisa R. Patrick

Church Soloist

Barbara Gibson

Church Soloist

Pat Funderburk

Pell Maid

Tobin Bell

Agent Stokes

Mark Jeffrey Miller

Fire Bomber

John P. Fertitta

T.V. Commentator

Charles Franzen

Interviewer & Reporter

Tonea Stewart

Mrs. Walker

Robert F. Colesberry

Cameraman

Frederick Zollo

Reporter

Ron De Roxtra

Reporter

Doug Jackson

Reporter

Gary Moody

Reporter

Robert Erickson

Reporter

Ed Geldart

Fire Bomber

Mert Hatfield

Fire Bomber

James Eric

Fire Bomber

Daniel Chapman

Agent MacMillan

Rick Washburn

Agent Brodsky

Robert Glaudini

Agent Nash

Ken Magee

Agent Reilly

Paul Henderson

Local #1 (uncredited)

Ralph Pruitt Vaughn

Peckerwood (uncredited)

Jesse Merle Speaks

Pecan Vendor

Simeon Teague

Obie Walker

Brenda Dunlap

Mrs. Cowens

E.A. Thrall

Agent Tubbs

Kenneth Magee

Agent Reilly

Crew

Director

Alan Parker

Screenplay

Chris Gerolmo

Reviews

kevin2019

April 19, 2024

"Mississippi Burning" has both insight and intelligence and it is an incredibly uncompromising scrutinization of how racism blighted American society and it is frightening to think the residents of Jessop in Mississippi possess minds much smaller than their town. This film also prompts you to seriously examine your own conscience in relation to the matter of the race issue, but how many people will actually be enthusiastically prepared to carry out such a thing? And how many of us will be shocked to discover something of Mayor Tilman in ourselves: we know all about what is going on and yet we choose to do nothing about it? That is the real lasting power of this superb film and that is why it will continue to have great longevity and deservedly so.