Rob Reiner on Ghosts of Mississippi | Film Discussion (1996)

Rob Reiner discusses making Ghosts of Mississippi, his true-story courtroom drama about the decades-long fight to convict Medgar Evers’ assassin. He talks about the responsibility of historical filmmaking, why accuracy matters, and how he built the film’s tension without “Hollywooding” the facts. Reiner also breaks down key casting decisions, including Whoopi Goldberg as Myrlie Evers, James Woods as Byron De La Beckwith, and Alec Baldwin as prosecutor Bobby DeLaughter, plus what he learned from his father Carl Reiner, Norman Lear, and years of live-audience television. (1996) 0:00 Intro 0:41 Why Reiner had to make Ghosts of Mississippi 2:12 The Medgar Evers assassination and why the retrial mattered 3:03 The hardest part: history, truth, and responsibility 4:22 “People learn history from movies” 6:25 Casting Whoopi Goldberg as Myrlie Evers 8:26 Casting James Woods as Byron De La Beckwith 10:04 Casting Alec Baldwin as Bobby DeLaughter 12:02 Carl Reiner, Norman Lear, and learning story craft 14:51 The movie Reiner still wants to make: the 1960s Film Discussion is a curated interview archive and conversation series presented by Occupy Cinema. We spotlight the minds behind the movies—actors, directors, writers, and cultural critics—through thoughtful interviews, archival footage, and contemporary conversations. From Broadway to global cinema, Film Discussion explores the craft, politics, and impact of storytelling on screen and stage. Join our community of 800+ filmmakers: https://occupy.beehiiv.com/subscribe Instagram:   / filmdiscussion_   Facebook:   / filmdiscussionofficial   #RobReiner #FilmDiscussion