Customer Reviews

The Rosa Parks Story

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I used this video for Black History Month in a middle school. Most of the students had heard of Rosa Parks, but didn't know her life story. The film conveys her in such a human manner that the students were able to see her as a person and not just an historical figure. Many of the scenes in the film depicting separate but equal angered these students, who are too young to remember when these things actally existed. The film definitely elicited an emotional response from all who viewed it.

Most everyone knows about Rosa Park's show of courage that helped spark the civil-rights movement, but few will probably know of the experiences in her formative years that helped shape her opinions and influenced her character. The Rosa Parks Story reveals the woman behind the legend. Not only is this gripping viewing, but would be of great educational benefit to a younger audience who may not be so familiar with this important period of 20th century history. Angela Bassett, in the starring role, is excellent - she emanates a warmth but also a gracful sort of stoicism that is entirely captivating. Also of interest is Rosa's relationship with her husband, who, at first was unapproving of her association with the NAACP and of her desire to bring about justice. His feelings, of course change, and there is quite a moving sequence in which this is illuminated.
On the whole, this movie is well worth investigating.

Rosa Parks, the movie, was very well made. The acting, by all, was excellent and I found it refreshing to find that the relationship between Rosa and her husband to be the centerpiece of this drama. Movies too often show people who are said to be in love and spend all of their time groping each other without passion. The last 5 minutes of this film wherein Rosa's husband "reminds himself" just how lucky he is priceless. A civil rights lesson and a lesson is humanity all in one film.

Not only was Rosa Parks a great movie, the whole DVD was fantastic. I especially appreciated the Civil Rights Timeline feature. It is one of the few special features I have seen which was really worth looking at, rather than the typical self promotion DVDs usually contain.

I am a fifth grade teacher, and we use this video while studying the civil rights movement. I have found that it is a wonderful way to allow the children to see, first hand, what the movement was all about. The movie allows students to get a real sense of the fear people had to overcome in order to make a change in our society. This movie is a great supplemental teaching tool!

Besides the history of the bus incident, I didn't know much about Rosa Parks. This story delves into how the conflict between Rosa fighting with the NAACP affected her family. Although some may find it to be a borderline story about relationships, I liked the story for that exact reason. It gave me a different view of how to look at a political situation that can hinder the people around you (for example, job loss, physical danger, voting rights). The focus of the story was on how Rosa Parks grew up not being able to understand the tactics of Jim Crow laws. Because her mother was just as strong as she, and her husband was initially a fighter as well, even someone who was unfamiliar with her would understand how she became so politically active.
Instead of creating the book in a documentary, it was entertaining, sometimes romantic, political, controversial, and informative all wrapped into one movie. Angela Bassett was a great choice to play Rosa Parks and I loved Peter Francis James as her husband, Raymond Parks. This was the first time I'd seen this actor in anything and it made me want to become more familiar with his projects.
Overall, great job. A friend of mine said that too many parts were left out about how Rosa Parks dealt with poverty later on, and I would surely like to see another movie go into the next segment of her life. Had it been in this one, it might've dragged on, but I would've enjoyed seeing that in the extras. The extras were rather disappointing--things like timelines are something I can find in an African American dominated textbook (they tend to be more accurate than the biased books that the Board of Education enforces). I would've liked to have seen actual interviews with Rosa Parks or how the actors were affected by doing a movie on this icon.
From the segments I got, it does make me want to move on and read more about her though.

This is an excellent movie and well-told story! Great for young people. I recommend it highly. Well acted, well written, really great. One word of caution for those thinking of showing it in class, there are a handful of times when profanity is used, probably better for older students. I will show it to my own middle school age children.

When I was a little girl, I lived not far from where the Watt's Riots where happening and I remember how people was afraid. But I also, have to think about people like Rosa Parks who was courageous enough to stand and defy the racist system towards Black people in the South. It was people like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. that brought a light to a situation that needed to be addressed even in the time they lived what had been going on far to long and should never had happened in the first place.

While, I did not know much about Rosa's childhood, what was shown and happened too much especially in the southern United States was a common occurrence. I still remember about 1972, traveling from Oregon to Georgia my family stopped to eat at a roadside cafe; as we was seated at a table not far from the door a very well dressed black man came in to eat and the proprietor of the cafe insulted him by telling him he had to eat off the kitchen door in the back. My family got up after the nice black man left, we wouldn't eat their either because of what the proprietor did.

America today still has racism and it has given the country nothing but a large black mark that many in the world sees as nothing but a counter point of absolute resentment for their mistreatments of their fellow citizens or guests in their country.

Racism should never be, but the courage of people like Rosa Parks is a beacon to what American still need's, equality for all!

I LOVED THIS MOVIE!THE MAN PLAYING ROSA PARKS, HUSBAND,WAS DASHING,A GREAT ACTOR, AND FINE!ANGELA WAS SUPERB!

I knew this was going to be amazing because of the people behind it but it should be stated anyway. It made me mad, it made me cry. It was a movie that will cause an emotional reaction if you are human. I am asian and the racist crap I put up with was different but it always hits home to see a film like this. Amazing.