In 1955, after Emmett Till was murdered in a brutal lynching, his mother vowed to expose the racism behind the attack while working to bring those involved to justice.
Director Chinonye Chukwu’s film, based on the true story of the impact of Emmett Till’s 1955 lynching, is a moving testament about how a mother’s support of her murdered child took on new meaning as she traversed ways to mourn her son’s passing by becoming an open book, unafraid to expose the truth about the liability of an entire community. Mamie (Danielle Deadwyler) and her 14-year-old son Bo’s (Jalyn Hall) relationship before his death was pivotal in setting a precedent for the unraveling of her spirit after she had preconceived notions about how her son would not fare well in a racist community that was different from what he was accustomed to. While her relationship with her own mother, Alma (Whoopi Goldberg), and father, John (Frankie Faison), was dysfunctional, they supported one another when times got tough. Bo (Emmett), who had no idea that his carefree and doting personality would be his undoing after only three days in Money, Mississippi, is central to the entire plot where no preparation in the world could have prevented Bo from being a true kid at heart who didn’t understand the consequence of his actions.
As the film opens, Mamie relishes that she has made a good living in Chicago, where she feels comfortable with who she is and her life decisions. Having already lived through the death of Bo’s dad during the war, she and her son have formed a bond, and all she wants to do is make a better life for him. When her mother, Alma, suggests that it would be an excellent idea for Bo to visit his cousins in Mississippi, Mamie convinces herself that maybe it would be a good idea for Bo to see how others live in a place where they aren’t as racially progressive. As the time gets closer for the trip, Mamie becomes overbearing in emphasizing to her son the importance of him understanding the climate he is going into and not getting himself into any predicaments with the whites. Her partner, Gene Mobley (Sean Patrick Thomas), supports her in everything she does because he has learned that when Mamie has her mind set, there is no turning back. Since Mamie’s Uncle “Preacher” Mose (John Douglas Thompson) and his wife have convinced Mamie that they would take good care of Bo while he is visiting Mississippi, Mamie finally loosens the strings and lets him go.
Bo’s first day in the cotton fields of Mississippi set the precedent of his unpreparedness as he continuously jokes around in the fields instead of picking cotton. When he smarts off at Preacher, who is his temporary guardian, his cousins are surprised that he isn’t punished, but Preacher gives him additional flexibility because the entire experience is new to him, yet a couple of days later when Bo gets bored and decides to go inside a small grocery store instead of hanging outside with his cousins, he never realizes that recovery isn’t an option. Bo’s admiration for the beauty of the white woman behind the counter turns sour quickly when a whistling compliment turns into a run for his life as the woman chases him and his cousins away with a shotgun. When the boys decide to keep quiet about the incident and not to tell Preacher what happened, they leave Bo’s fate in his own hands as several of the town’s community racists come in the middle of the night and take Bo away, never to be seen alive again.
When Mamie learns of the news of her missing son, although fraught with despair, she vows that she will expose those who are responsible. She partners with the local NAACP rep, Rayfield Mooty (Kevin Carroll), and several other black leaders and decides to travel to Mississippi to face the demons once it is discovered that her son’s battered body has been found. Mamie’s decision to have an open casket at her son’s funeral is an open invitation for the entire community to learn that they can no longer look away and ignore the ultimate cost of racism to everyone. Once court proceedings get underway, Mamie realizes that the truth will never be revealed, and she spends the rest of her life fighting to defend her son’s right to exist.
Director Chinonye Chukwu and Whoopi Goldberg do an excellent job of retelling a story that re-opens dialogue, creating a new admiration for the courage and unwavering strength of Mamie Till-Mobley. The decision to present the graphic details of Bo’s lynching is crucial in bringing the elements of racial disparity to life and showing, without remorse, the courage of a woman who put her own heartbreak aside to gain the community’s support that surrounds her. Actors Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie, and Jalyn Hall as Bo, are superb as a mother and son whose bond was unbroken even in death. The remaining cast is also strong and supportive in bringing Till’s story to the forefront after so many years. While the persons who committed the crime were never brought to justice, the recent passage of the 1957 Civil Rights Act is irrefutable evidence that Mamie Till-Mobley’s efforts were not in vain, as she demonstrated her unmovable devotion to her son.
In Theaters Friday, October 21st
