CinemaOSMovie · 1999 · 1h 41m · PG-13

A Lesson Before Dying

A young man's destiny becomes a teacher's journey.

50%(19)IMDbDrama

In the 1940s South, an African-American man is wrongly accused of the killing a a white store owner. In his defense, his white attorney equates him with a lowly hog, to indicate that he didn't have the sense to know what he was doing. Nevertheless convicted, he is sentenced to die, but his godmother and the aunt of the local schoolteacher convince school teacher go to the convicted man's cell each day to try to reaffirm to him that he is not an animal but a man with dignity.

Directed byJoseph Sargent

Play
Status
Released
Runtime
1h 41m
Language
EN
Released
May 22, 1999
Studios
HBO FilmsSpanky PicturesEllen M. Krass Productions

Featuring

Cast & crew

10 credited
Starring
Don Cheadle

Don Cheadle

Grant Wiggins

Cicely Tyson

Cicely Tyson

Tante Lou

Mekhi Phifer

Mekhi Phifer

Jefferson

Irma P. Hall

Irma P. Hall

Miss Emma

Brent Jennings

Brent Jennings

Reverend Ambrose

Lisa Arrindell

Lisa Arrindell

Vivian Baptiste

Dana Ivey

Dana Ivey

Edna Guidry

Frank Hoyt Taylor

Frank Hoyt Taylor

Sheriff Guidry

Stuart Culpepper

Henri Pichot

Von Coulter

Von Coulter

Farrell Jarreau

Creative team
Directed by
Joseph Sargent
Joseph Sargent
Produced by
Robert Benedetti
Robert Benedetti

Keep watching

More like this

Barton Fink7.5

Barton Fink

1991 · Film

Rome, Open City8.0

Rome, Open City

1945 · Film

The Godfather8.7

The Godfather

1972 · Film

The Shawshank Redemption8.7

The Shawshank Redemption

1994 · Film

The Edukators7.2

The Edukators

2004 · Film

Trust

Trust

2025 · Film

Black Litter5.5

Black Litter

1977 · Film

Youngistaan5.3

Youngistaan

2014 · Film

Detrás de la mentira8.0

Detrás de la mentira

1962 · Film

Driving Miss Daisy7.2

Driving Miss Daisy

1989 · Film

Razakar: The Silent Genocide of Hyderabad4.5

Razakar: The Silent Genocide of Hyderabad

2024 · Film

Absolute Power6.7

Absolute Power

1997 · Film

King of the Night6.2

King of the Night

1975 · Film

Tomka and His Friends7.8

Tomka and His Friends

1977 · Film

The Rose of Versailles7.0

The Rose of Versailles

2025 · Film

Soldier of Orange7.1

Soldier of Orange

1977 · Film

Downfall7.9

Downfall

2004 · Film

The Crossing I5.5

The Crossing I

2014 · Film

Wag the Dog6.9

Wag the Dog

1997 · Film

The Best Man7.3

The Best Man

1964 · Film

Picked for you

Recommended movies

The House on Carroll Street5.9

The House on Carroll Street

1988 · Film

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds7.3

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds

1972 · Film

Holy Lands6.1

Holy Lands

2019 · Film

TalhotBlond6.3

TalhotBlond

2012 · Film

Skin6.4

Skin

2009 · Film

The Visit7.2

The Visit

1964 · Film

The Caveman's Valentine5.9

The Caveman's Valentine

2001 · Film

Trumbo7.2

Trumbo

2015 · Film

Mr. Turner6.5

Mr. Turner

2014 · Film

Come Sunday5.8

Come Sunday

2018 · Film

Mary6.3

Mary

2024 · Film

What Maisie Knew7.1

What Maisie Knew

2013 · Film

Jimmy's Hall6.7

Jimmy's Hall

2014 · Film

All the Way6.7

All the Way

2016 · Film

Richard Jewell7.4

Richard Jewell

2019 · Film

Doubt7.2

Doubt

2008 · Film

The Girl in the Book5.8

The Girl in the Book

2015 · Film

Riot in Cell Block 117.1

Riot in Cell Block 11

1954 · Film

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film7.0

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

2013 · Film

My Neighbor Adolf6.5

My Neighbor Adolf

2022 · Film