Deacons for Defense (TV movie)

Deacons for Defense
Directed by	Bill Duke
Produced by	Robert Rehme
Written by	Michael D'Antonio (story) Richard Wesley (teleplay) Frank Military (teleplay)
Starring	Forest Whitaker Christopher Britton Ossie Davis Jonathan Silverman Adam Weiner Marcus Johnson as "Young Marcus"
Music by	Michel Colombier
Editing by	Harry Keramidas editor David Rosenberg assistant editor
Release date(s)	2003 - US
Running time	95 minutes.
Country	America / Canada
Language	English

Deacons for Defense is a 2003 American television drama film directed by Bill Duke. The Televisison film stars; Forest Whitaker, Christopher Britton, Ossie Davis, Jonathan Silverman, Adam Weiner, and Marcus Johnson as "Young Marcus".

Plot

Inspired by a true story, this made-for-cable drama is set in 1965, not long after passage of the Civil Rights Act. To the African-American citizens of Bogalusa, LA, however, it is "business as usual"; they are still treated like third-class citizens, their fundamental rights as human beings persistently trampled by the white power structure, in general, and the local branch of the KKK, in particular. Like many of the local black men, war veteran Marcus (Forest Whitaker) works in the town's mill for meager wages, and must endure the ongoing humiliation meted out by his white supervisors. But when he is beaten up by the police for the "outrage" of trying to defend his own daughter, Marcus is pushed too far. Encouraged by an idealistic white Northerner (Jonathan Silverman), Marcus organizes the Deacons, an all-black defense group dedicated to patrolling the black section of town and protecting its residents from the more violent aspects of "white backlash." Telecast during Black History Month, Deacons for Defense first aired over the Showtime cable network on February 16, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Main cast

• Forest Whitaker as Marcus Clay
• Ossie Davis as Rev. Gregory
• Christopher Britton as William Chase
• Jonathan Silverman as Michael Deane
• Tyrone Benskin as Archie
• Paul Benjamin as Otis
• Melanie Nicholls-King as Rose Clay
• Adam Weiner as Charles Hillibrand

Gene Mack as TJ.

Rest of Cast

• Marcus Johnson as Young Marcus
• Rufus Crawford as Deacon
• Joe Bostick as City Attorney
• Francis X. McCarthy as Christenberry
• Shawn Corbett as Federal Agent
• Matt Birman as Rioter
• Craig Eldridge as US Attorney
• Patricia Shirley as Church Singer
• Sharon Riley as Church Singer
• Brian Paul as Holden
• Tim Burd as Lester Conley
• David Black as Alphin
• Quancetia Hamilton as Woman

References

External links

• Deacons for Defense at the Internet Movie Database