It wasn't the first movie to focus on racial turmoil during the 1960s, but Roger Young's Murder In Mississippi (1989) may be one of the most passionate. This made-for-TV docudrama premiered roughly a year after the theatrical release of Mississippi Burning---and though it took cues from similar source material, the more down-to-earth approach of Young's project made up for the smaller budget. Starring Tom Hulce (Amadeus), Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing) and Blair Underwood (Madea's Family Reunion), this account of civil rights activists in the heart of chaos ruffled plenty of feathers during its original broadcast, rarely shying away from the grim realities of segregation and violence.

Of course, those even vaguely familiar with 1960s history should know how the story ends. It begins, however, with the arrival of optimistic young activist Mickey Schwerner (Hulce) and his wife Rita (Grey) in Meridian, Mississippi. As part of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality, who also organized the March on Washington), the young Jewish couple is determined to help establish equal voting rights for the local black community. The local CORE chapter pairs the Schwerners with James Chaney (Underwood), a passionate young black man who isn't looking for help from up North. Chaney's reluctant partnership is the least of their problems, though: met with heavy resistance from the local white population, they're virtually alone with little assistance. Eventually, Chaney and a few others manage to soften up and accept the Schwerners. The locals? Not so much.

The main objective of these young activists, of course, is to encourage and assist those who've been held back for the past few decades, regardless of their own personal safety. Mickey is obviously the more driven of the two Schwerners, a veritable fountain of optimism determined to make even the smallest difference. He'll need such determination, of course: they're in for plenty of hardship, whether it's at the hands of local law enforcement, a handful of unsavory locals or even the shockingly unfair registration process enforced on those they're helping. As his wife voluntarily recedes into the background, a new recruit named Andrew Goodman (Josh Charles, Sports Night) enters the fold---and though he's a bit wet behind the ears, Goodman obviously admires the work they're doing. As the pressure mounts, however, even those unfamiliar with history should realize that these kids are in over their heads. The gripping conclusion presents a sad reality, but offers hope and spiritual confirmation in equal amounts.

Murder In Mississippi never plays it safe in regards to the subject matter, even if its structure proves to be fairly conventional. Certain plot elements will be fairly predictable, even to those unfamiliar with the actual events that took place. Even so, such a straightforward approach is almost refreshing in this case, anchored further by strong performances from our leads. Supporting roles are handled nicely by CCH Pounder, Walt Goggins (both from The Shield) and several others, even though our story rarely strays from its focal point. Sharp-eyed viewers will easily spot Greg Kinnear as well (playing himself as a newscaster, apparently), reminding us that we've all got to start somewhere. It's anything but "spot the future star", though: Murder In Mississippi is a well-rounded account of this tragic slice of American history, rising clearly above typical made-for-TV fare.

Presented on DVD by Warner Bros., Murder In Mississippi was released early in the year to predictably little fanfare. Unfortunately, this slim package is just as straightforward as you'd expect, pairing a relatively average technical presentation with absolutely nothing else. The main feature certainly carries its own weight, but most releases like this still tend to get lost in the shuffle. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, it's no surprise that Murder In Mississippi looks a bit rough around the edges. Dirt and debris are thankfully kept to a minimum, but the earthy color palette often appears flat and muddy. Image detail is quite good during most daytime sequences, but the darker stretches are notably less impressive.

The audio is equally straightforward, presented in a Dolby 2.0 Stereo mix that can't help but show its age. Dialogue can be a bit muffled at times, but the music cues and background noise rarely fight for attention. Thankfully, English captions have been included during the main feature.

Well-crafted and genuinely gripping, Murder In Mississippi plays its cards right during the bulk of its brisk running time. The performances are uniformly impressive (especially those by Hulce and Underwood), even when the film can't help but play by the numbers. Warner Bros.' DVD presentation isn't especially well-rounded, unfortunately: the technical presentation is average at best, while the lack of bonus features doesn't help matters either. The low price point should help to ease the pain, at least enough to make this a decent blind buy for those interested in the subject matter. Mildly Recommended.