The Long Walk Home (1991)

This underrated 1990 film directed by Richard Pearce (Country, Leap of Faith) features exceptionally nuanced performances by both Sissy Spacek (Coal Miner's Daughter) and Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost) in a story set against the backdrop of the emerging civil rights movement of the 1950s South. Spacek plays a Southern socialite who becomes gradually enlightened by the plight of her housekeeper, played by Whoopi Goldberg, as she struggles to raise her family amid the increasing turmoil, prejudice, and violence around her. A well-done treatment of an important period of American history, The Long Walk Home is an effective and accurate period drama. It is also an opportunity to see fine, understated performances by two very popular actresses in an earnest and socially conscious setting. --Robert Lane Amazon.com essential video

Great Movie!

The Long Walk Home (1990) is based on the boycott of the buses in Montgomery, Alabama (1955-1956) led by Martin Luther King. During the boycott, black citizens protested the segregation in buses by refusing to ride them. This movie focuses on Odessa Cotter (played by Whoopi Goldberg), a thoughtful black maid with strong morals. She works for a white family in which the mother becomes disenchanted with racism. Odessa takes part in the boycott even though she must walk nine miles to and from work. The mother, Miriam, (played by Sissy Spacek) decides that she will drive Odessa to work two days a week. Miriam keeps her good deed a secret from her racist husband and brother-in-law. As the boycott progresses, Miriam's husband discovers the secret. The couple argues, but this makes Miriam even more determined to do the right thing. She volunteers to drive the boycotters to places to further their cause, and continues to nurture her friendship with Odessa. Even though Miriam is a privileged housewife she soon realizes how much she needs Odessa, and learns to stand up for what she believes in.
However, her satisfaction is short-lived. Her brother-in-law, Tunker, finds out about Miriam's good deed and brings Miriam's husband to a parking lot to face the boycotters, Miriam's daughter, Odessa, and Miriam. Tunker argues with Miriam while her husband cowers in the car. Tunker reveals that he has organized a mob to terrify the black boycotters, and tries to force her to leave. As the mob arrives, Odessa tries to protect Miriam's daughter. Miriam refuses to abandon her friends to the mob. Only when Tunker hits Miriam does her husband defend her by punching Tunker. As the jeering mob threatens them with bodily harm, Miriam, her daughter, and their newfound companions face the mob, which slowly backs down.
I enjoyed this movie, especially the costumes: for example, Miriam's flaring black knee length dress with white trimming. The burgeoning friendship between Miriam and Odessa was done very well by the actresses. I also learned about racism and the value of friendship and standing up for what you believe in.
A. Goldstein December 12, 2008

Worst DVD copy ever!

Really, Do not bother! A great film reproduced by a flim-flam DVD company. I was going to show this to my college students this evening. I don't even know if they could endure it. I certainly can't. Search for a used VHS copy. This hack job is terrible! October 28, 2008

One of Spacek and Goldberg's best performances

Rosa Parks' refusal to ride in the 'Colored Section' of the bus wasn't the end of the protests. Afterward, the African American community boycotted public transportation.

Dessie (Goldberg) had a 9 mile walk to her employer, Miriam Thompson's (Spacek) home. The act of Thompson giving her maid a ride to continue the boycott causes quite a bit of stir among her conservative white family.

It's just before Christmas, Dessie's shoes barely fit and she cannot come home 'too tired to do the cooking and too late to do the cleaning.' Many African Americans are afraid to lose their jobs.

Meanwhile, the whites are afraid "If they get by with that bus thing, we won't be able to have this Christmas dinner. The maid will be sitting right next to us..."

As Dessie says, "I'll walk til I don't have no legs left if it will give my kids a better shot in this world."

This is one of the most poignant performances on the part of both Spacek and Goldberg I have ever seen. "Long Walk Home" is very underrated.

Most of us are too young to remember segregated schools, buses, and even public parks. We have come a long way, as this film illustrates. And not far enough. Discrimination is an ugly and painful word and it's one I hope we can put an end to.

Rebecca Kyle, October 2008 October 1, 2008

A LONG WAYS FROM 'THE LONG WALK HOME'?

It's 1955 in Montgomery and the Rosa Parks incident has precipitated the bus strike by African-Americans against the City of Montgomery. The film BOYCOTT does an excellent job of telling the overall story of the strike and the people organizing it. THE LONG WALK HOME is the story of two people directly involved in the strike. No one thought it would go on for over a year. Most African-Americans relied on public transportation for getting to work and Odessa Cotter (Goldberg), who worked as a domestic in the home of Miriam Thompson (Spacek), paid her fare in the front of the bus and got off to enter and sit in the back of the bus to ride the 9 miles each way to the Thompson home. The Thompsons were upper middle class socialites whose lives centered around the Country Club, entertaining, and Norman Thompson's successful real estate development business. Miriam, without telling her very segregationist husband, initially picks up Dessa a couple times a week, more for her own benefit than Dessa's but as the strike wears on and it becomes more and more contentious, Miriam begins to understand the pain of the African-Americans and puts her marriage and physical safety on the line by getting involved in driving Dessa back and forth as well as driving for the car pool. Goldberg does a great job of restraining her usual overpowering personality in this film so that you really feel the pain of walking 9 miles each way only to come home and do all over what you've been doing at work all day. Even if you know the story of the boycott this is worth watching to better understand how it played out at the individual level for both whites and blacks. Another reminder of a very sad chapter in American history. Let us all pray that we never treat people as 'possessions' again and that we work to rid our world of racial discrimination wherever we find it. WWW.LUSREVIEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM. February 23, 2008

Dignity and grace

Great movie about the power of standing or in this case walking for what you believe in. The dynamics between men and women, women and women, employer and employee, families, etc. etc. Buy this movie. January 19, 2007

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