By: Kimberly Grant
If you’re African-American and you were raised in the United States, you know the story of Emmett Till’s murder. It was an event that shocked the entire nation in 1955. Well, it shocked non-black America. Black Americans were horrified, but not shocked at the blatant racism. Sixty-seven years and two films later, Emmett Till’s murder is getting a much needed big screen showcase.
Till opens in theaters nationwide on October 14.
Screen Treatment
Till was directed by Chinonye Chukwu, who wrote the screenplay with Michael Reilly and Keith Beauchamp. In the story, 14-year-old Emmett Till (played by Jalyn Hall) is excited to leave his hometown of Chicago to spend time with his cousins. His cousins live in Money, Mississippi, where racism is blatant and blacks are much more restricted compared to Chicago. In the first days of Emmett’s trip, his mother Mamie Till-Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler) frets over her son’s safety.
See, Mamie is well-aware of the open, violent hatred that the white citizens have for colored people in the southern part of the United States. She worries that her son, who is charismatic and sees the world with innocent eyes, will say or do the wrong thing and get into trouble. Unfortunately, her fretting is not in vain. Emmett returns to his mother in Chicago in a pine coffin; his body so spoiled that he’s almost unrecognizable. What started with Emmett complimenting a plain-faced white woman named Carolyn Bryant (Haley Bennett) turns into the brutal loss of his life and solidified Mamie’s place in the fight for Civil Rights.
A Mother’s Story
While Till is telling the murder of Emmett Till and the aftermath, it is also telling his mother’s story of living through intense grief. Deadwyler as Mamie is electrifying. She truly embodies the grieving mother who has to face racist white people while fighting for justice for her son. Deadwyler also brings a raw grace to Mamie that makes her feel more relatable.
Equally relatable is Whoopi Goldberg who plays Mamie’s mother, Alma Carthan. Goldberg is a chameleon as a grieving grandmother and mother who is trying to stay strong for her daughter. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Whoopi in a dramatic film, it’s absolutely refreshing.
Sean Patrick Thomas plays Mamie’s fiancé, Gene Mobley, who tries to be Mamie’s strength in the face of her son’s horrific death. Alas, Mamie’s character was assassinated in the American press and it was better for optics for Gene to stay in the background. In that role, Thomas’ Gene embodies quiet strength.
Support Performance
Other awesome performances include Jayme Lawson, who plays Myrlie Evers (Medgar Evers’ wife). Lawson may look familiar because she’s also starring in one of Summer 2022’s hit films, The Woman King. Lawson’s Myrlie represents another face of the Civil Rights Movement from a woman’s perspective.
Likewise, Tosin Cole embodies Medgar Evers with a considerable resolve. If Chukwu is looking to do a film about the assassination of Medgar Evers, she already has her leading man. Lastly, Frankie Faison as Mamie’s father, John Carthan, inhabits the fatherly love that Mamie desperately needs as she traverses a monumentally difficult journey.
There is an entire host of actors who supported this film with their talented presence. Each one representing an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement as we know it in the Black Community. Each actor bringing a dramatic face to the legends they play.
Oscar is Calling
Till’s release is timely, considering the recently passed Emmett Till Antilynching Act into law on March 29, 2022. This new law makes lynching a federal hate crime. Till the movie is also in time for consideration for the upcoming Awards season. I can already envision Till’s cast and crew getting nominations for Academy Awards, Golden Globes, People Choice, Screen Actors Guild, and Black Film Critics Circle.
Told from the perspective of Mamie Till-Mobley, Till is worth the watch. Not just because it’s a significant piece of American history. Not just because Deadwyler, Goldberg, Thomas, and others give great performances. You should watch Till because it’s about fighting unchecked, violent racism inflicted on a young black boy because he paid a mediocre white woman a compliment.
Curious about my take on The Woman King? You can read my review here.
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