A Lesson Before Dying_
"A young man's destiny becomes a teacher's journey."
In the 1940s South, an African-American man is wrongly accused of the killing a a white store owner. In his defense, his white attorney equates him with a lowly hog, to indicate that he didn't have the sense to know what he was doing. Nevertheless convicted, he is sentenced to die, but his godmother and the aunt of the local schoolteacher convince school teacher go to the convicted man's cell each day to try to reaffirm to him that he is not an animal but a man with dignity.
Starring
Don Cheadle, Cicely Tyson, Mekhi Phifer
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Prime Video
3 countries
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
A Lesson Before Dying was released 27 years ago in 1999.
Overview
In the 1940s South, an African-American man is wrongly accused of the killing a a white store owner. In his defense, his white attorney equates him with a lo...
A Lesson Before Dying is a Drama film with a runtime of 1h 41m.
CAST (13)
Don Cheadle
Grant Wiggins
Cicely Tyson
Tante Lou
Mekhi Phifer
Jefferson
Irma P. Hall
Miss Emma
Brent Jennings
Reverend Ambrose
Lisa Arrindell
Vivian Baptiste
Dana Ivey
Edna Guidry
Frank Hoyt Taylor
Sheriff Guidry
SC
Stuart Culpepper
Henri Pichot
Von Coulter
Farrell Jarreau
Elijah Kelley
Clarence
WY
Wynton Yates
Louis Washington
PM
Patty Mack
Inez
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is A Lesson Before Dying about?
In the 1940s South, an African-American man is wrongly accused of the killing a a white store owner. In his defense, his white attorney equates him with a lowly hog, to indicate that he didn't have the sense to know what he was doing. Nevertheless convicted, he is sentenced to die, but his godmother and the aunt of the local schoolteacher convince school teacher go to the convicted man's cell each day to try to reaffirm to him that he is not an animal but a man with dignity.
How long is A Lesson Before Dying?
A Lesson Before Dying has a runtime of 101 minutes (1h 41m).
Who stars in A Lesson Before Dying?
The cast of A Lesson Before Dying includes Don Cheadle, Cicely Tyson, Mekhi Phifer, Irma P. Hall, Brent Jennings.
What is the rating of A Lesson Before Dying?
A Lesson Before Dying has a rating of 4.8 out of 10 based on 16 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (1)
Drama