Prom night in mississippi might not be as zippy as some other documentaries about high school life including american teen, but its both sobering and refreshing in its honesty, making it a mustsee for families with teens who are mature enough to handle the film s complex themes. Prom night in mississippi is at once heartbreaking and inspiring. Prom night in mississippi is a documentary that shouldnt exist, since the issue it explores forthrightly and tenderlyintegrationbelongs in the distant past, not the uncertain present. Prom night in mississippi 2009 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. This teachers guide is designed to help make the film an even more powerful and transformative experience for students. As the film unfolds, we delve deeply into the heated race issues that tear apart this tiny community, and realize that this troubling segregation has. The documentary follows a group of 2008 charleston high school high school seniors in. Advise and dissent 2012 prom night in mississippi 2009 nanking 2007 in between days 2006 the puffy chair 2005 brother to brother 2004. I stop the film briefly about twice to ask students to share what they have written down so far. Prom night in mississippi facing history and ourselves. Prom night in mississippi traces the tumultuous events leading up to charlestons first integrated prom through intimate conversations with students, families, faculty members and freeman himself. Prom night is a 2008 americancanadian slasher film directed by nelson mccormick that is a loose remake of the 1980 film of the same title. There was something special about seeing this film at the crossroads film festival in jackson, mississippi. Integrated senior prom in charleston, mississippi 2008 intro duration.
Prom night in mississippi on dvd prom night in mississippi. But towns like charleston, mississippi, the subject of paul saltzmans 2008 documentary prom night in mississippi, were a bit slow on the uptake. We watch the first 24 minutes of so of prom night in mississippi. A high school in a smalltown in mississippi prepares for its first integrated. She witnessed him murdered her family to be with her. Hopefully your own teens dance wont go the way of carries. Canadian filmmaker paul saltzman follows students, teachers, and parents in the leadup to the big day. The documentary prom night in mississippi documents the days leading up to the towns first integrated prom through conversations with students, faculty, and even freeman. Prom night in mississippi premieres monday, july 20 at 9pm. Harsh lessons of division and racial intolerance infect the lives of charleston highs students. The students of this small mississippi town made history by showing the courage to resist racism and stand up to the stale tradition of their parents.
Prom night in mississippi directed by paul saltzman, 2008. Donna keppel brittany snow is a high school senior whos still reeling from the murder of her family three years earlier at the hands of richard fenton johnathon. Morgan freeman talks about his prom night in mississippi. Click the film s title to watch the movie at snagfilms and browse snagfilms sundance film festival channel for more sundance classics. Morgan freeman, a charleston resident, makes the school an offer.
The film stars an ensemble cast including brittany snow, scott porter, jessica stroup, dana davis, collins pennie, kelly blatz, james ransone, brianne davis, johnathon schaech, and idris elba. Our film follows the charleston high senior class of 2008 preparing and attending their historic, first integrated prom, in the context of strong emotions, traditions, and conflict inherent in race relations in the community, and in the deep south. Rent prom night in mississippi 2009 on dvd and bluray. Interviews with prom night in mississippi cast youtube. On april 19, 2008, charleston high school, in charleston, mississippi, held its historic, firstever integrated senior prom, ending a long tradition of segregated, parentorganized white proms and black proms. In 1997, academy awardwinning actor morgan freeman offered to pay for the senior prom at charleston high. He is currently editing his 2nd feature, the documentary return to mississippi, with harry belafonte, the kkk and morgan freeman. Prom night in mississippi cast and characters tv guide. In 2008, the actor and charleston native offers to pay for the prom if its. Rent prom night in mississippi 2009 starring morgan freeman on dvd and blu ray. Few rites of teenage passage are as memorable both in real life and in the movies as prom. Academy awardwinning actor morgan freeman, who lives in the community, stimulated this. In 1997, actor morgan freeman, a resident of the small town of charleston, mississippi, offered to pay for the senior prom at charleston high school under one condition. Prom night in mississippi 2009 documentary on free.
But prom night in mississippi serves as a powerful reminder that, despite. This is what two cast members of prom night in mississippi had to say about their school and the film. Prom night in mississippi featuring morgan freeman is free on snagfilms. Rent prom night in mississippi 2009 starring morgan freeman on dvd and bluray. A high school seniors prom is ruined when the stalker who killed her family three years earlier escapes from a mental institution and wreaks havoc on her life again. This time the school board accepted, and history was. Prom night in mississippi docurama cinedigm entertainment. Hbo will be airing the prom night in mississippi documentary on july 20th. Its a documentary movie with a better than average imdb audience rating of 7. Mainly the film is obliged to circle around the absent centre of the conflict, the dark heart of the very issue under scrutiny. The documentary follows a group of 2008 charleston high school high school seniors in charleston, mississippi as they prepare for their senior prom, the first racially integrated prom in charleston history. The same week an africanamerican family moves into the white house, a movie about a mississippi high schools first integrated dance debuts at the sundance film festival.
Prom night in mississippi is a 2009 canadianamerican documentary film written and directed by paul saltzman. The film tells the story of children at mississippis charleston high school, who receive. In 1997 the actor morgan freeman, a mississippi native, offered to subsidize the charleston prom if it was integrated, but he was turned down. In hbo documentary of a mississippi school, history is. The southern poverty law center is cooperating with the freeman project information and a second hbo promo here. This film shows the problems and lessons learned as the event was planned and held, and explores attitudes of racial intolerance. To purchase dvds of prom night in mississippi use this link. January 26th, 2010 not yet rated 1 hr 30 min plot summary. Uplifting, illuminating and enjoyable important to watch. A canadian film crew led by paul saltzman documented the event for the upcoming prom night in mississippi. In charleston mississippi, the local high school still has separate prom dances for their seniorsone for black students and one for white students.
Prom night in mississippi documents the challenge to that tradition by students, with the help of morgan freeman. Download the tv guide app for iphone, ipad and android. A high school girl named donna keppel snow is traumatized after. Prom night in mississippi on dvd movie synopsis and info. Five minutes before the bell, i have them discuss their notes and the movie in their small groups and write down any last notes they might want to. In 1970, the town of charleston, mississippi, allowed black students into their white high school, but refused to integrate the senior prom. Prom night in mississippitheatrical trailer youtube. Prom night in mississippi 2008 stream and watch online. Prom night in mississippi trailer movie trailers and videos. Morgan freeman did a great service to this community by being a catalyst for change. Prom night in mississippi isnt the only freeman film this year that hits the hot button of race relations.
Theatrical trailer for the feature documentary prom night in mississippi. Consequently, like a skinny boy in an oversized tux, it has to pad. Our list of the best prom movies is almost as much fun as the event itself. In the upcoming invictus, he plays nelson mandela for director clint eastwood. Rarely is it as overt and shameful as a high school in mississippi. I cannot think of a movie more likely to promote discussion about issues of race than prom night. Prom night engages viewers through suspense, conflict, and unexpected endings.
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