The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman Rating: Release Date: 14 January, 2003 Retail Price: $12.98 OUR Price: $11.99 You SAVE: $0.99! Cast: John Mills Cicely Tyson John Goodman David Knight Complete Cast (11 total)

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman Reviews

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The Role God Wanted Cicely Tyson to Play
Much has been said about the role that network television news played in shining a spotlight on Bull Connor and the rest of the racists in the Old South of the Fifties and Sixties, and those observations are correct. By the late Sixties, with the passage of landmark Civil Rights legislation and grudging acceptance by some that change was here to stay, real barriers began to be broken and doors opened. But, like all seismic shifts in culture, change would have to be reinforced to make it complete.

"The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" proved again what the small screen can do to change hearts. The measure of a truly great work of art is that it can be viewed in any number of settings and never have its impact diminished. "2001: A Space Odyssey" is nearly as mesmerizing on television as it was on the theatre screen, so groundbreaking was its approach to the question of human potentiality. In equal measure, "Autobiography" is worthy of the big screen, so artful and compelling is its treatment of the issue of human dignity.

Thanks to extraordinarily skillful makeup artists, but largely to her own meteoric talents, Cicely Tyson turns in a flawless performance that will never grow old. Her facial expressions, voice timber, eye movements - her complete persona - embody the convictions of a woman growing more mature, more realistic, but still never losing her hope and dreams. It is an astonishing performance that demands exposure to the widest possible audience.

Regrettably, I wondered just recently whether the reaction of the townfolks to Miss Jane's final act of courage at the end of this masterpiece occurred more out of respect for her age than her color. As this is fiction, we want to, and can hope to answer "no". But as fiction based on history, we might hesitate before answering.

This film is a truly transformative experience - for a beloved actress, those in the film surrounding her, and most of all, for the viewer. One of my Top 5 picks of all time.



Great To See It Again
Great to see it again after all these years and the DVD Extras were just wonderful. Five Stars to a well deserved release. Thanks.

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