Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

NOTE: This review has been moved because it's now available in a category, thanks to Millinocket.

The year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott started December 1, 1955 when 42-year-old Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, and ended triumphantly a year later when the United States Supreme Court outlawed segregation on buses.

For most people my age (I was born just before the end of the boycott), that's about as much as we learned in history and civics classes, at least in Hooterville.

But the 2002 film Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks, which shows frequently on HBO, is not only a uniquely filmed history lesson, but features interviews with the people of Montgomery who took part in the boycott, their children and grandchildren, and Rosa Parks's young nieces and nephews.

About Mrs. Parks

Almost everyone knows that Mrs. Parks was a seamstress in a department store, and that on that famous day in December 1955, she was tired and not in the mood to humor a nasty bus driver who demanded that she give up her seat to a white male passenger.

What many people may not know and will learn from this film is that Mrs. Parks and her husband, Raymond, were already actively working for civil rights. Ray Parks did not support his petite wife's involvement in the civil rights movement, because he feared that she would not be able to run fast enough from or fend off attackers.

People also may believe that Mrs. Parks was sitting in the white section of the bus that day -- but she was actually sitting in the first row in the black section.

The rule of the day, however, is that when the bus was crowded and white passengers were out of seats, black passengers were expected to cede seats in their section as well.

Even though Mrs. Parks was already working toward civil rights progress, she wasn't looking to cause a scene that day. She was simply tired, her feet hurt, and the bus driver's demands made her angry. She had been pushed far enough and was willing to take a stand and be arrested.

Support from White Friends

You also learn from this documentary that Mrs. Parks had white friends, most notably a lady named Virginia Durr, who welcomed her into their retreats and treated her as an equal. When she stood up to the bus driver, she was already fully confident and secure in the knowledge that she was as good as anyone else.

A young white minister, Robert Graetz, only age 26 at the time, headed a mostly white Lutheran Church and lent his church basement as a meeting place for planning the boycott, and encouraged congregation members to support the effort.

Graetz and his grandchildren were interviewed, Graetz recalling momentous events leading up to the first day of what was at first going to be just a one-day protest.

"Your Case is the One We Have Been Waiting For"

E.D. Nixon, who was president of the Montgomery NAACP at the time, went to see Mrs. Parks after she was released on bail from jail.

The segregated seating had already been a serious issue for the black community in Montgomery, and black passengers were angered at having to enter the front door of the bus to pay their fares, then get off the bus and re-enter through the back door in the black section. They were not allowed to walk through the white seating.

This had happened to Mrs. Parks in 1943, and she chose to leave the bus than follow the bus driver's order. She vowed never to ride his bus again, but on December 1, 1955 she was too tired to notice that it was the same one.

"Your case is just the thing we've been waiting for," he told her. Nixon also was interviewed, giving his recollections as well. They were looking for an example of abuse and discrimination aimed at a law-abiding, refined and dignified person who had never caused any trouble of any kind for anyone on which to mount a legal challenge.

A boycott rally was organized in Graetz's church, and was intended to be a one-day protest in conjunction with Mrs. Parks's trial. When she was found guilty, thousands of blacks quickly joined the effort to continue the boycott.

A Feeling of Unity, Purpose and Hope

Martin Luther King came to Montgomery to help lead the effort, and the black bus riders of the city organized quickly, efficiently, and with a sense of determination and purpose that whites thought would fade with the first rainy day.

To the contrary, those taking part in the peaceful protest seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely, more so with each passing day. Interviews with Montgomery citizens who walked everywhere for nearly a whole year are included in the movie. Some interviews were with children whose grandparents and older relatives shared their stories with them.

"My uncle was not just supporting the boycott," said one cheerful young man, about age 10. "He was walking girls home from school, being a gentleman and he was having himself a good time!"

Shoes, Bikes, Hearses and "Rolling Churches"

When we hear stories of the Montgomery bus boycott, we learn that white women with cars would go pick up their domestic help. But what we don't hear as often is how organized the black community was at getting themselves around in style.

Supporters from all over the country sent comfortable shoes to Montgomery. Others sent bicycles, which Mrs. Parks would drive to Atlanta in a truck to pick up so that men could use them to get to their jobs.

Others donated station wagons, and churches raised money for new cars to transport their members when they wanted rides. Even funeral parlors would pick up walkers in their hearses -- if they were willing to get in.

The boycotters of Montgomery were creative, organized and dedicated to getting their points across. They took great pride in the effectiveness of their efforts, and the feeling of camaraderie it fostered.

Vintage Cameras and Black and White Film

One of the most intriguing aspects of the documentary are the reenactments of momentous events -- like Mrs. Parks refusing to leave her seat and being harassed by the bus driver. We knew that there were no cameras present when the event happened, but vintage cameras and black and white film were used with actors who closely resemble the principle players.

This footage was interspersed almost seamlessly with real news archive footage of Dr. King, Mrs. Parks and other leaders. It was difficult to tell the difference between recreated scenes and actual events.

Music of the Boycott

One of the highlights for me was the background music used for the boycott scenes, usually in conjunction with the "voice" of the boycott, Montgomery disc-jockey "Ace" Anderson, who played songs and spoke to listeners in code to help fill them in on the day's agenda, meeting places and plans. Anderson worked for Montgomery's only black radio station.

The music, featuring the southern roadhouse juke styles of Lowell Fulson's Baby Won't You Jump With Me, Ray Charles's You Are My Sunshine and John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom and the overall theme, Big Bill Broonzy's Black, Brown and White (Get Back) really set the scene and the tone of the times, capturing the upbeat spirit of the boycott participants. It made me wish this documentary had a soundtrack.

The Way It Was

Some of the most poignant parts of this film were hearing the recollections of blacks who were children in the segregated south, like E.D. Nixon's son.

"You walked down the street and saw stores filled with clothing you couldn't try on, soda fountains filled with candy and ice cream sundaes but you couldn't go in and have any."

While we know that there were separate bus sections, water fountains and rest rooms, we forget that there were so many places in those times in the south that were off limits to blacks, and it's difficult for those of us who have never witnessed segregation to understand.

But Mighty Times makes us see and understand much more about our past than we might otherwise care to explore, and does it with style and grace.

Director/writer/producer team Robert Hudson and Bobby Houston, also has produced another film in the "Mighty Times" series called The Children's March about the youth who took to the streets in 1963 Birmingham to challenge segregation. It won an Oscar in 2005, but has not yet appeared on television to my knowledge. Based on his first efforts, I greatly look forward to seeing it as well.

More Information

HBO has several resources about this film, including viewing times at http://www.hbo.com/schedule, and more information at this link:

http://www.hbofamily.com/programs/whole_family/mighty_times.html

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8