''Jasper, Texas'' is a 2003 American
made-for-television drama film directed by
Jeffrey W. Byrd
Jeffrey W. Byrd is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Once a protégé of Spike Lee, Byrd started his film career by working on several of Lee's films including ''Mo' Better Blues'', '' Malcolm X'' and ''Jungle Fever''. . The teleplay by Jonathan Estrin is based on a true story and focuses on the aftermath of a crime in which three white men from the small town of
Jasper, Texas, killed
African American James Byrd Jr. by dragging him behind their pickup truck.
The film was shown at the Philadelphia International Film Festival before being broadcast by
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global ...
on June 8, 2003.
Plot
In Jasper, Texas, in June 1998, three self-proclaimed
white supremacists chain James Byrd Jr., to the back of their pickup truck and drag him to his death over three miles of country road. When the town is forced to deal with an onslaught of media coverage that thrusts it into the collective conscience of the entire country and the arrival of contentious members of the
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
, and the
Black Panthers
The Black Panther Party (BPP), originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was a Marxism-Leninism, Marxist-Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. New ...
, the once peaceful relationship between its white and black citizens is subjected to tension. Trying to maintain peace in the community as the trial of the three perpetrators commences are black mayor R.C. Horn and white sheriff Billy Rowles, neither of whom is prepared to handle all the negative publicity. Justice is served when two of the men are condemned to death and the third is sentenced to life in prison.
Cast
*
Jon Voight as Sheriff Billy Rowles
*
Louis Gossett Jr. as Mayor R.C. Horn
*Ron White as Assistant District Attorney Guy James Gray
*
Gary Hudson as Defense Attorney 'Sonny' Cribbs
*
Joe Morton as Walter Diggles
*Kate Trotter as Jamie Rowles
*
Demore Barnes as Ricky Horn
*Karen Robinson as Mary Horn
*Michelle Moffat as Mamie Horn
*
Bokeem Woodbine as Khalid X
*Emily Yanc as Stella Byrd
*Cherion Drakes as Clair Byrd
*
Kevin Hanchard as Thurman Byrd
*Blu Mankuma as James Byrd Sr.
*Roy T. Anderson as James Byrd Jr.
*
Michael McLachlan as Bill King
*
Eric Peterson as Old Mr. King
*
Eugene Clark as Don Clark
*
David Eisner as Mike Bradford
*Michael Ferguson as William Hoover
*Jeff Topping as Russell Brewer
*
Toby Proctor as Sean Berry
*
J.D. Nicholsen
Leslie Spit Treeo were a Canadian folk-rock band in the 1980s and 1990s. The band took its name from the Leslie Street Spit area of Toronto Harbour."Leslie Spit Treeo still true to street-busking roots". ''Toronto Star'', May 11, 1990.
History
T ...
as Mike Lout
*Conrad Bergschneider as 'Moe' Johnson
*
Holly Lewis
Holly Lewis (born December 17, 1974) is a Canadian actress and writer. Born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, she is known for her television and film work, as well as her stage experience.
Film and television
Initially providing minor roles i ...
as Michelle Chapman
*
Victoria Snow as Nancy Nicholson
*
Leah Renee
Leah Renee Cudmore (born 1 October 1985), often credited as Leah Cudmore or Leah Renee, is a Canadian actress and singer.
Career
Cudmore has had recurring roles in television series including '' MVP'', ''Runaway'' and '' Blue Mountain State''. A ...
as Brandi Eggleson
*Marium Carvell as Gloria Mays
*Dean McKenzie as Mr. Nelson
*Martin Doyle as Mr. Powell
*Craig Eldridge as Dr. Brown
*Andre Mayers as Sergeant Carter
*Jumaane Ford as Lieutenant
*
Wayne Ward
Wayne Ward (born 28 April 1964 in Colchester, England) is an English former footballer.
Career
Ward started his career with Colchester United in May 1982. He made 22 appearances for the club in the Football League
The English Football Le ...
as Deputy
*
Sandra Caldwell as Norva
*
Samantha Bee as Kathy
*
James Millington
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambigua ...
as Catholic Priest
*
Kedar Brown Kedar and Qedar may refer to: Indian subcontinent
*Shiva or Kedar, a Hindu god
**Panch Kedar, five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shaivite sect dedicated to god Shiva
*Kedar (raga), a raga in Indian classical music named after Lord Shiva
*Kedar ...
as Reverend
*
Neil Crone as Principal
Critical reception
David Wiegand of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle'' said, "There's nothing fatally wrong with the film, but the muddled, overstuffed script and sometimes cheesy direction short-circuit the emotional potential of the treatment of James Byrd Jr.'s brutal dragging death five years ago in a small Texas town . . . The better TV films offer commentary and perspective subtly, through careful characterization and plot development. ''Jasper, Texas'' doesn't quite do that. Despite great performances from Voight and Gossett, the film trips over its own simplistic analysis of what 'getting along' between the races really means."
Laura Fries of ''
Variety'' called the film "an introspective but somewhat Hollywoodized treatment" and continued, "The director's focus is very personal. Although he doesn't linger on details of the court case, the murder is presented in full-color detail. It is handled almost clinically, but not without sensitivity. To dance around the facts would be too great a disservice. To exploit the sensational nature of the crime also would be wrong. Instead, Byrd puts his trust into his very capable cast."
Sam Adams of ''
Philadelphia City Paper'' thought the film was "a standard-issue
docudrama
Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event".
Docudramas typic ...
whose pat resolution doesn't dredge up anything like the national horror of Byrd's murder."
''Philadelphia City Paper'' review
Awards and nominations
Screenwriter Jonathan Estrin was nominated for the Humanitas Prize. The film was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special but lost to '' D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear'', and Lou Gossett, Jr. was nominated for the but lost to Charles S. Dutton
Charles Stanley Dutton (born January 30, 1951) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''Roc (TV series), Roc'' (1991–1994) and the television film ''The Piano Lesson (film), The Piano Lesson'' ...
in ''D.C. Sniper''.
DVD release
Showtime Entertainment released the film on DVD on February 3, 2004. It is in fullscreen format with audio tracks in English and Spanish.
Filmed
Portions of the film, including the intown scene, were shot in Beaverton, Ontario, Canada.
References
External links
*
*
*
*{{rotten-tomatoes, id=jasper_texas, title=Jasper, Texas
2003 television films
2003 films
2003 drama films
Drama films based on actual events
Films set in Texas
Showtime (TV network) films
Films set in 1998
Films about racism
Films about the Ku Klux Klan
Films directed by Jeffrey W. Byrd
American drama television films
2000s American films