Ghosts of Mississippi
Ghosts of Mississippi is a real-life drama covering the final trial of Byron De La Beckwith, the assassin of heroic civil rights leader Medgar Evers. The movie begins with the murder on June 12, 1963 and the events surrounding the two initial trials which both ended in hung juries. The movie then covers district attorney Bobby De Laughter's transformation and alliance with Myrlie Evers, Medgar Evers' widow, as he becomes more involved with bringing Beckwith to trial for the third time 30 years later. Byron De La Beckwith was convicted on February 5, 1994, after having remained a free man for much of the 30 years after the murder, giving justice for Medgar Evers' family.
The film financial setback against its mid-range budget of $30.0M, earning $13.3M globally (-56% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its distinctive approach within the drama genre.
Nominated for 2 Oscars. 2 wins & 9 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) showcases precise narrative design, characteristic of Rob Reiner's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 10 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.5, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Bobby DeLaughter
Myrlie Evers
Byron De La Beckwith
Dixie DeLaughter
Ed Peters
Morris Dees
Charlie Crisco
Main Cast & Characters
Bobby DeLaughter
Played by Alec Baldwin
Assistant District Attorney who reopens the Medgar Evers murder case 30 years after the crime. A principled prosecutor who risks his career and marriage to pursue justice.
Myrlie Evers
Played by Whoopi Goldberg
Widow of Medgar Evers who spent decades fighting to bring her husband's killer to justice. Dignified, determined civil rights advocate.
Byron De La Beckwith
Played by James Woods
White supremacist accused of assassinating Medgar Evers. Unrepentant racist who was acquitted twice by all-white juries in the 1960s.
Dixie DeLaughter
Played by Virginia Madsen
Bobby's wife who struggles with the social and personal costs of her husband's controversial case. Their marriage suffers under the pressure.
Ed Peters
Played by Craig T. Nelson
District Attorney and Bobby's boss who initially supports but later becomes ambivalent about prosecuting the case.
Morris Dees
Played by Bill Cobbs
Civil rights attorney who provides crucial guidance to Bobby in building the case. Represents experience in fighting racist violence.
Charlie Crisco
Played by William H. Macy
Investigator who helps Bobby gather evidence and track down witnesses decades after the original crime.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Archival footage shows the 1963 assassination of Medgar Evers, a civil rights leader gunned down in his driveway while his family watched. This establishes the historical injustice at the heart of the story.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Myrlie Evers meets with Bobby DeLaughter and asks him to reopen her husband's murder case after thirty years. This disrupts Bobby's routine cases and presents an enormous challenge.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 33 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Bobby makes the committed choice to prosecute the case despite the obstacles. He tells his team they're moving forward, crossing the point of no return into a years-long battle., moving from reaction to action.
At 66 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Bobby's marriage falls apart as his wife leaves him, unable to handle the toll the case is taking. The personal cost of his commitment becomes devastatingly real. False defeat: his personal life collapses just as the case moves forward., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 98 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The trial hits its lowest point when a key witness testimony is destroyed on cross-examination, and it appears the jury may not convict. Bobby faces the real possibility of losing everything—the case, his reputation, and the chance for justice., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 104 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Bobby delivers his closing argument with newfound clarity and moral authority, synthesizing personal sacrifice with the greater cause. He combines legal skill with the spiritual truth Myrlie taught him: some things are worth fighting for beyond winning., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Ghosts of Mississippi's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Ghosts of Mississippi against these established plot points, we can identify how Rob Reiner utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Ghosts of Mississippi within the drama genre.
Rob Reiner's Structural Approach
Among the 17 Rob Reiner films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Ghosts of Mississippi takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Rob Reiner filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include After Thomas, South Pacific and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. For more Rob Reiner analyses, see The Sure Thing, The American President and The Story of Us.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Archival footage shows the 1963 assassination of Medgar Evers, a civil rights leader gunned down in his driveway while his family watched. This establishes the historical injustice at the heart of the story.
Theme
Myrlie Evers states that some crimes can never be forgotten and justice delayed is justice denied. This thematic statement frames the entire pursuit of the case thirty years later.
Worldbuilding
We meet Bobby DeLaughter, an assistant DA in Jackson, Mississippi in 1989, living a comfortable life with his family. The world is established: the South has changed, but the Evers case remains unsolved, and Byron De La Beckwith walks free.
Disruption
Myrlie Evers meets with Bobby DeLaughter and asks him to reopen her husband's murder case after thirty years. This disrupts Bobby's routine cases and presents an enormous challenge.
Resistance
Bobby debates whether to take the case, faces resistance from his boss and colleagues who see it as politically unwinnable. He investigates the original case files, discovers evidence is missing, and grapples with the personal and professional costs.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Bobby makes the committed choice to prosecute the case despite the obstacles. He tells his team they're moving forward, crossing the point of no return into a years-long battle.
Mirror World
Bobby develops a deeper relationship with Myrlie Evers, who becomes his moral compass and thematic teacher. She represents the dignity, patience, and unwavering commitment to justice that Bobby must learn.
Premise
Bobby and his team work to rebuild the case: tracking down witnesses, searching for the missing murder weapon, dealing with intimidation and dead ends. This is the promise of the premise—a legal detective story pursuing justice decades late.
Midpoint
Bobby's marriage falls apart as his wife leaves him, unable to handle the toll the case is taking. The personal cost of his commitment becomes devastatingly real. False defeat: his personal life collapses just as the case moves forward.
Opposition
Pressure intensifies from all sides: racist threats, political opposition, key witnesses recanting or dying, the defense team fights dirty, and Bobby struggles with divorce and seeing his children. Everything gets harder as the trial approaches.
Collapse
The trial hits its lowest point when a key witness testimony is destroyed on cross-examination, and it appears the jury may not convict. Bobby faces the real possibility of losing everything—the case, his reputation, and the chance for justice.
Crisis
Bobby processes the potential defeat, reflects on why he took the case, and finds resolve in the moral rightness of the fight regardless of outcome. Dark night before the final push.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Bobby delivers his closing argument with newfound clarity and moral authority, synthesizing personal sacrifice with the greater cause. He combines legal skill with the spiritual truth Myrlie taught him: some things are worth fighting for beyond winning.
Synthesis
The jury deliberates and returns a verdict: guilty. Byron De La Beckwith is convicted of murder after thirty years. Justice is finally served. Bobby and Myrlie share the victory, and Bobby reconciles with his personal journey.
Transformation
Bobby stands with Myrlie on the courthouse steps as she speaks to the press, transformed from a comfortable prosecutor into a man who sacrificed everything for justice. The final image shows him at peace, having become what the case required of him.