Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story
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| Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Vondie Curtis-Hall |
| Produced by | Sue Bugden, Eva Garofalo |
| Written by | J.T. Allen |
| Starring | Jamie Foxx, Lynn Whitfield, Lee Thompson Young, CCH Pounder, |
| Music by | Tree Adams |
| Distributed by | fX Network, Twentieth Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | January 21, 2004 |
| Running time | 120 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $75,000 |
| IMDb profile | |
Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (2004) is a TV-movie starring Jamie Foxx and Lynn Whitfield. The film was directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall, who has directed several other Hollywood films and television shows. In addition to Foxx and Whitfield, Redemption has other cast members including Lee Thompson Young and CCH Pounder.
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[edit] Information
The film touches on the life of Stanley Tookie Williams, a founding member of the Crips street gang, principally on his life in the streets and his life in prison. It also shows some of the work he did while incarcerated to help decrease gang violence in the world. The film was shot in 2004 while Williams was still imprisoned. On December 13, 2005, Williams was executed by lethal injection in California.
The film was released in January of 2004 via the FX cable network on television and went on to become a successful venture for the network. The film was nominated for 19 different awards and won 11 of them. Among the awards the film was nominated for include American Cinema Editors, Black Reel Awards, Golden Globes, NAACP Image Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, MovieGuide, Satellite Award, Screen Actors Guild, and Writers Guild of America.
Although most of the film's setting is supposed to be in California, none of the film was actually shot there. Most of the filming took place in Florida and some scenes were shot in Canada. Filming locations in Florida include Orlando, FL, Fort Pierce, FL, Lantana, FL, and West Palm Beach, FL. The lone spot used for filming in Canada was Toronto.
Of note is that one of the victims was misidentified as "Alvin" Owens instead of his real name, Albert Owens. The movie also shows a scene of a member of the Owens family physically assaulting supporters of Williams, an event that was not documented in any news accounts and may be dramatic license on the part of the director.
[edit] Tagline
Gangster, Death Row Inmate, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee.
[edit] Synopsis
Redemption tells the story of Stan "Tookie" Williams, founder of the Crips L.A. street gang. The story follows his fall into gangbanging, his prison term, and his work writing children's novels encouraging peace and anti-violence resolutions which earned him multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations. Williams was still serving time in San Quentin on death row at the time of filming but was later executed on December 13, 2005.
[edit] Ramifications/Artistic License/Meanings of Movie
The movie was made and released when the time drew close for the actual execution of the real-life Tookie Williams, when it appeared obvious that normal measures would fail to prevent the execution. The movie can be seen as an attempt by the makers to influence and stop the execution.
Foxx, a gifted actor, portrays a Williams as both wrongfully convicted and bent on peace. The movie highlights Williams's Nobel Peace Prize nominations. However, in reality, no source has ever verified Williams's conviction as wrongful; Williams argued that his anti-gang actions in prison prove his redemption.
Amazon.com reported, in its review of the movie, that the change in Williams's character from street criminal to peaceful man happens a little too fast and in an unbelievable fashion for the viewer to buy his story. However, Amazon.com praised Oscar-winner Foxx for his portayal, blaming the writing/directing and real life story.
Support for Williams's cause has weakened efforts against the death penalty in other quaters. For example, Williams supporters often are supporters of Mumia, and thus has weakened support for Mumia's death penalty case.
