“The first jury to hear all of the evidence — including the wrongly suppressed evidence — found Henry McCollum and Leon Brown to be innocent, found them to have been demonstrably and excruciatingly wronged, and has done what the law can do to make it right at this late date,” North Carolina attorney Elliot Abrams said after the trial ended.
The real Brian Banks, the subject of this movie, lived through an ordeal that was tragic, inspiring and often profound, something is lost in this one-dimensional retelling of his life experiences. Something turns his extraordinary story of resilience into a decent but ordinary made-for-TV-like movie.
“Some of us have been victims of the stain, the pain, the hurt of racism. In the 50s and during the 60s, segregationists told us to go back when we protested for our rights. They told ministers, priests, rabbis, and nuns to go back. The told innocent, little children seeking just equal education to go back,” said civil rights legend and Georgia Congressman John Lewis on the House floor during debate.