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A Lesson Before Dying poster

A Lesson Before Dying

1999 · 1h 41m · Drama · United States of America · Rated PG-13 (US)

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

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 by
Joseph Sargent
Based on the novel by
Ernest J. Gaines
Starring
Don Cheadle, Cicely Tyson, Mekhi Phifer, Irma P. Hall
5.8Smart score

The TMDB rating, pulled toward the movie average (6.03) as if it had 82 extra average votes. Few votes means more pull.

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19 TMDB votes · IMDb page

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Where to watch

Not available to stream, rent or buy in United States.

Where each service has it

Amazon Prime Video: available in 16 countries
Subscription · 16Belgium, Burkina Faso, Congo - Kinshasa, Côte d’Ivoire, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Monaco, Niger, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Vatican City

Streaming data by JustWatch, via TMDB. Links open the JustWatch listing for United States.

Style & content

1940sauntpolitics
RatingPG-13 (US)

Keywords from TMDB.

Connected through the crew

Jaws: The Revenge1987 · Director Joseph SargentThe Taking of Pelham One Two Three1974 · Director Joseph SargentSomething the Lord Made2004 · Director Joseph SargentColossus: The Forbin Project1970 · Director Joseph SargentWhite Lightning1973 · Director Joseph SargentNightmares1983 · Director Joseph SargentMacArthur1977 · Director Joseph SargentSybil2007 · Director Joseph SargentPlaying for Time1980 · Director Joseph SargentAbraham1993 · Director Joseph SargentOut of the Ashes2003 · Director Joseph SargentThe Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman1974 · Writer Ernest J. Gaines

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