A large group of celebrities, faith leaders, sports teams and even global corporations have found themselves moved by the film Just Mercy. So much so that they are paying for people to see it for free.
People are inspired by the true story of attorney Bryan Stevenson, a Black man who courageously took on powerful forces in Alabama to save the life of an innocent Black man on death row. “Just Mercy” is based on the powerful and thought-provoking true story of young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the main testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings, as well as overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system— stacked against them.
Celebrities, as well as sports teams, faith leaders and churches, and multinational corporations, have bought out entire theatres and offer free admission, in hopes of making this powerful story accessible to as many people as possible.
The growing list includes:
Kobe Bryant
Kanye and Kim Kardashian West
John Legend
Common
Lena Waithe
Garrett Temple from the Brooklyn Nets
Devin McCourty, New England Patriots Defensive Back #32
Jason McCourty, New England Patriots Cornerback #30
Microsoft
Coach
Facebook
Goldhouse
JPMorgan Chase
Prudential Financial
Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group
Eastdil Secured
The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation & Third Point LLC
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
Chris & Crystal Sacca
Michael & Lydia Kives
Sheryl Leach
William McMorrow, Chairman and CEO of Kennedy Wilson
Just keep livin foundation
Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
Pastor Jamal Bryant and New Birth Church, Atlanta
Dr. Irishea Hilliard and New Light Church, Houston
Bishop Dale Bronner and Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral, Atlanta
Sports teams including:
From the NBA: Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings
From the NFL: San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons
The movie opened for limited release on Christmas day and has scored a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a rare 82% approval rating among critics.
The film stars Michael B. Jordan (“Black Panther”) and Oscar winners Jamie Foxx (“Baby Driver,” “Django: Unchained”) and Brie Larson (“Captain Marvel”). ” Award-winning filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote, based on Bryan Stevenson’s bestselling memoir.
Distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film has been rated PG-13 for thematic content, including some racial epithets. www.JustMercyFilm.com
Photos from the Los Angeles Community Screening Event & Red Carpet on January 6th
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