Based on the true story (and memoir) of Bryan Stevenson (played with quiet passion by Michael B. Jordan), who after graduating from Harvard Law back in the late 1980s, chose to devote his professional life to representing those on death row in Alabama, in particular, the case of the wrongfully convicted African-American Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx, impressive on the screen as usual), sent to prison for the murder of an 18-year-old white woman. (Stevenson, along with an assistant, here played by Brie Larson, founded an organization to bring justice to those who have been shown none By the state.) You can guess how the story will progress — from racist Alabama town folks and politicians who are willing to overlook plenty of holes in the State’s case, to the dangers facing an outsider challenging an outcome that has provided some comfort for the community of the deceased woman — but the story is so moving, sad and, in parts, uplifting, and acting that is quite good — that you’ll likely be able to overlook the film’s weaknesses.
