Experience a time you’ll never forget.|Jul. 24, 1996|United States|149 Min.|R
Genre: Crime;Drama;Thriller
Description: In the town of Canton, Mississippi, ten-year-old African American girl Tonya Hailey is abducted, raped, and brutally beaten by two local White men, Billy Ray Cobb and James Willard. After a failed attempt to hang her, they dump her in a nearby river. Tonya survives, and the men are arrested by Sheriff Ozzie Walls.
Tonya’s father, Carl Lee Hailey, contacts Jake Brigance, a White lawyer who had previously defended his brother. Brigance warns Carl Lee that the rapists might avoid severe punishment. In response, Carl Lee takes matters into his own hands, going to the county courthouse and opening fire with an automatic rifle. He kills both rapists but accidentally wounds Deputy Dwayne Looney, whose leg is later amputated. Carl Lee is arrested, and Brigance agrees to represent him.
The case attracts national media attention, with District Attorney Rufus Buckley seeking the death penalty. Judge Omar Noose denies Brigance’s request to move the trial to a more diverse county, ensuring an all-White jury. Brigance assembles a defense team, including law student Ellen Roark, friend Harry Rex Vonner, and his former mentor, civil rights activist Lucien Wilbanks.
Meanwhile, Billy Ray’s brother, Freddie Lee Cobb, seeks revenge by joining the Ku Klux Klan, led by Grand Dragon Stump Sisson. On the trial’s first day, the Klan stages a rally but is outnumbered by counter-protesters, leading to a violent clash that results in dozens of injuries and the death of Sisson.
The Klan targets Brigance, assaulting his elderly secretary and her husband, who dies from a heart attack caused by the attack. They also burn a cross on his property and threaten his family. When Brigance refuses to back down, they kidnap and assault Roark. The attacks escalate, culminating in the burning of Brigance’s home.
The story highlights themes of racial tension, justice, and morality as Brigance fights to defend Carl Lee in a deeply divided community.
Cast director: Joel Schumacher
Cast actor: Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Ashley Judd, Donald Sutherland, Oliver Platt, Charles S. Dutton, Brenda Fricker, Kiefer Sutherland
Original name: A Time to Kill