Directed by Denzel Washington Written by Robert Eisele   Jeffrey Porro   Tony Scherman   Cast Denzel Washington ... Melvin B. Tolson Nate Parker ... Henry Lowe Jurnee Smollett ... Samantha Booke Denzel Whitaker ... James Farmer Jr. Jermaine Williams ... Hamilton Burgess Forest Whitaker ... Dr. James Farmer Sr. Gina Ravera ... Ruth Tolson John Heard ... Sheriff Dozier Kimberly Elise ... Pearl Farmer Devyn A. Tyler ... Helen Farmer (as Devyn Tyler) Trenton McClain Boyd ... Nathaniel Farmer Ritchie Montgomery ... Deputy Jackson Walker ... Pig Owner Tim Parati ... Pig Farmer Robert X. Golphin ... Dunbar Reed Justice Leak ... Harland Osbourne Glen Powell ... Harvard Debater #1 (as Glen Powell Jr.) Brad Watkins ... Harvard Debater #2 Brian Smiar ... Harvard Dean Damien Leake ... Wilson Voltaire Sterling ... Paul Quinn Debater #1 (as Voltaire Rico Sterling) Stephen Rider ... Paul Quinn Debater #2 Gordon Danniels ... Paul Quinn Debate Judge Donny Boaz ... Oklahoma City College Debater #1 Samuel Elliott Whisnant ... Oklahoma City College Debater #2 (as Sam Whisnant) Bonnie Johnson ... Dr. Jennings Charissa Allen ... Benita Michael Beasley ... Trudell Gary Mattis ... Enormous Man (as Gary Mathis) George Wilson ... Samuel Fahnlohnee R. Harris ... Clementine (as Fahnlohnee Harris) Harold Evans ... William Taylor (as Harold X. Evans) JD Evermore ... Captain Wainwright (as J.D. Evermore) Sharon Jones ... Lila Kelvin Payton ... Joseph Southey Blanton ... White Labor Organizer Michael Mattison ... White Sharecropper #1 Jeff Braun ... White Sharecropper #2 Milton R. Gipson ... Prairie View Professor Frank Ridley ... Security Guard Jeremiah Kissel ... Radio Announcer at Harvard Debate Jack Radosta ... White Man at Lynching Marcus Lyle Brown ... Howard Debater #1 Alvin Youngblood Hart ... Juke Joint Musician #1 (as Alvin 'Youngblood' Hart) Dom Flemons ... Juke Joint Musician #2 (as Dominique Flemons) Justin Robinson ... Juke Joint Musician #3 Rhiannon Giddens ... Juke Joint Musician #4 Ahmad Powell ... Fisk Professor Uncredited Cast Michael C. 'Mike' Allen ... Deputy Texas Ranger Razmig Arabian ... Harvard Student Kevin Beard ... Klansman at Lynching Ellen Becker-Gray ... Faculty at Harvard Debate Chad Boldini ... Harvard Debate Attendee Matthew N. Bourgeois ... Harvard Scholar Crystal Brown-Tatum ... Female Teacher / Dance Chaperone Gio Castellano ... Harvard Debate Attendee Thomas Cataloni ... Sailor Michael DeMello ... Debate Observer Roger Dillingham Jr. ... Upscale Traveler Sal DiMino ... Reporter Tommy Jay Dwyer ... Harvard Student Curtis Eames ... Reporter Chaz Echols ... Wiley College Student Brian D. Evans ... Harvard Student Ben Fisher ... Harvard Student Jaishon Fisher ... Newspaper Boy Jamai Fisher ... Kid at Train Station Steve Flynn ... Harvard Dean Hugh Guiney ... Harvard Student Hevin Hampton ... Bar Patron Joel B. Hayden ... Harvard Professor Patrick Mel Hayes ... Harvard Alumni Benjamin Healy ... Harvard Student Chris Kosiavelon ... Harvard Student Kenneth Lecompte ... Share Cropper and Grocer Jimmy Lee Jr. ... Lyncher Aqua Lee ... Juke Joint Couple Christopher J. Long ... Harvard Student Michael M Luzzi ... Reporter Robert Masiello ... Harvard Alumni Josh McBride ... Harvard Student Paul McGillicuddy ... Harvard Debate Attendee Alex Milne ... Shoe Shine Boy Tarek Moussa ... Harvard Student Jason Mulcahy ... Harvard Student Ed O'Keefe ... Harvard Scholar Nefertara Ozella ... Extra Giovanni Pantaleo ... Havard Student Cory Patt ... Wiley Student James Paul ... Riot Starter Jeannie Perrin ... Lynching Participant Todd Poudrier ... Radio Tech Cyndy Powell ... Harvard debate audience Breon Pugh ... Wiley Debater Alan Resnic ... Harvard Scholar Robert M. Saunders ... Harvard Student Cory Reed Smith ... Harvard Debate Attendee Scott Sousa ... Harvard Student Michael Stanton ... Harvard Professor Heath Stewart ... Reserve Harvard Debater Bill Stinchcomb ... Lynch Mob Charles Sutherland ... Man at Train Station Ian Wallace ... Harvard Student Mario Wanza ... Wiley Student Donald Warnock ... The Chief Harvard Judge Mike Wendt ... Havard Student Russell Woron-Simons ... Harvard Debate Attendee Adam Zalt ... Harvard Student / Navy Sailor Produced by Molly Allen   Todd Black   David Crockett   Kate Forte   Melody Fowler   Joe Roth   Valerie Scoon   Bob Weinstein   Harvey Weinstein   Oprah Winfrey   Original Music by Peter Golub James Newton Howard

Additional Info Premiere: December 11, 2007 Theatrical Release: December 25, 2007 DVD Release: May 13, 2008 Country: Distributor: The Weinstein Company Websites: Production Companies Harpo Films Marshall Production Roth Films The Weinstein Company Distributors The Weinstein Company   (2007) (USA) (all media) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)   (2007) (USA) (theatrical) Rating Stats Overall Rating 7.5 / 10 Our Rating 6.2 / 10 Your Friends -- / 10 Male Users 6.2 / 10 Female Users -- / 10 Site Ranking #2,173 / 20,736 Ratings Breakdown Perfect 1 total rating Almost Perfect 2 total ratings Site Ranking #2,169 M*A*S*H: Season 11 (1982) #2,170 M*A*S*H: Season 8 (1979) #2,171 M*A*S*H: Season 6 (1977) #2,172 The Brave One (2007) #2,173 The Great Debaters (2007) #2,174 The Upside (2017) #2,175 The Santa Clause 2 (2002) #2,176 Pain And Glory (2019) #2,177 Spiral (2021)