Blood Done Sign My Name

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for an intense scene of violence, thematic material involving racism, and for language)
Runtime: 2 hours, 8 minutes
Directed by: Jeb Stuart (Die Hard, The Fugitive)

Reviewed by Matthew L. Kelley, pastor of Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Clarksville, Tenn.

“Blood Done Sign My Name” is the true story of a North Carolina town in 1970 struggling with issues of race, violence, and segregation. Rick Schroeder gets top billing as Rev. Vernon Tyson, a white pastor newly appointed to Oxford’s United Methodist Church. Tyson (whose son wrote the book the movie is based on), however, is more of a witness to the events of the story than an active participant.

The real stars of the film are the town’s African-American population. When Dickie Marrow (A.C. Sanford), a black Vietnam veteran, is killed by a group of white men for a perceived offense, and his killers are acquitted by an all-white jury, the town’s black residents react in a variety of ways. Some turn to violence, smashing windows and looting downtown shops, and even burning down the tobacco warehouses that are the engine of the local economy. Others react non-violently, calling in Civil Rights activist Golden Frinks (Afemo Omilami) and organizing a march to the state capitol to protest unequal protection under the law. Perhaps the most intriguing character in the film is Ben Chavis (Nate Parker), a black school teacher who ends up becoming an influential leader in the Civil Rights struggle.

Rev. Tyson, while not an active participant in the marches, serves as the one positive bridge between the black and white communities. He invites a prominent black preacher to preach in his pulpit, which lands him in hot water with his downtown, all-white congregation that doesn’t want to hear about issues of racial inequality. Ultimately, taking a stand gets Tyson appointed to a different congregation by his bishop—an experience many Methodist ministers and their families know all too well.

The film features a number of excellent performances, mostly by the African-American actors, since they are given much more of an emotional range to work with. Most of the white characters are rather one-dimensional, with racism as their primary motivation throughout the film. The cinematography is excellent, particularly during the riot scenes. The audience is drawn in and shares in the character’s outrage, while at the same time being saddened by the destruction.

Pastors and their families will particularly identify with the opening sequence showing the Tyson family moving into a new parsonage, doing their best to make the church-owned house into a home. Pastors’ kids will no doubt also identify with Tim Tyson’s (Gattlin Griffith) struggle to be friends with peers whose values are at odds with those of his family and his faith.

The story of “Blood Done Sign My Name” is all the more engaging because it is true, and the conflict faced by the characters still rings true in our time. The film’s pacing gets bogged down a bit in places, particularly with long speeches and the attempt to lay out the sequence of events, and would benefit from being edited down a bit. However, these weaknesses are overcome by the authentic look of the film and skillful performances by the actors. This film would be a great piece to use with a group to spark conversations about race, violence, and the role of the church in prophetically speaking to these issues.

Learn more about this film at www.blooddonesignmynamethemovie.com.
Free clips from this film are available at www.wingclips.com for use in worship or group discussions.