Lovely Jackson

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Lovely Jackson

Released Oct 4

1h 44m

Crime

Documentary

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7 Reviews

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LOVELY JACKSON is exonerated prisoner Rickey Jackson's daring first-hand account of the psychology of survival and spiritual fortitude required to withstand 39 years of wrongful incarceration for a murder he didn't commit. At the time of his release in 2014, Rickey was the longest wrongfully incarcerated person in U.S. history--spending 39 years on death row and in Ohio's most dangerous prisons after being convicted solely on the coerced eye-witness testimony of a 12-year-old neighborhood paper boy. Lovely Jackson sees Rickey return to the prison where he was sent in 1976 on his way to the electric chair where he narrates and stars in reenactments alongside professional actors (one playing his younger self), and the (then) 12-year-old paper boy, now in his late 50's. Lovely Jackson is a boldly cinematic, epic journey that begins in tragedy, hopelessness, injustice, and death, but ends in hope, beauty, and new life.

Dwight Brown

DwightBrownInk.com

Long-winded but worthy.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 9, 2022

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Donnie Lopez

Black Girl Nerds

The experiences of one man and his message of resilience, forgiveness, and strength in the face of an imaginable burden proves to everyone that no one is lost, even in a world that seems to forget about them

Rated: 4/5

Apr 17, 2023

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Ryan Syrek

The Reader (Omaha, NE)

It’s not “okay” because Rickey is now okay. This is grotesque. This is horror. This is the worst of which humanity is capable. The film is, perhaps, a bit too lovely. It is, perhaps, a bit too taken by the notion of forgiveness. But it is absolutely vital

Rated: A-

Mar 31, 2023

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

It not only shines a light on a tragic failure in the U.S. criminal justice system but also offers a beacon of hope. Rickey Jackson tells his story of being wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for murder in this artfully directed and riveting documentary.

Dec 12, 2022

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Carey-Ann Pawsey

Orca Sound

Many films are built up to be about hope and perseverance but fall short. this doc does not.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 13, 2022

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Jared Mobarak

The Film Stage

The exercise therefore exists somewhere between your conventional true crime drama dissecting facts via interview and the heightened, visceral approach of Robert Greene's Procession.

Rated: B

Oct 18, 2022

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Matt Waldeck

Director

Rickey Jackson

Self

Rickey Jackson

Screenwriter

Matt Waldeck

Screenwriter

Rickey Jackson

Producer

Matt Waldeck

Producer

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Synopsis

LOVELY JACKSON is exonerated prisoner Rickey Jackson's daring first-hand account of the psychology of survival and spiritual fortitude required to withstand 39 years of wrongful incarceration for a murder he didn't commit. At the time of his release in 2014, Rickey was the longest wrongfully incarcerated person in U.S. history--spending 39 years on death row and in Ohio's most dangerous prisons after being convicted solely on the coerced eye-witness testimony of a 12-year-old neighborhood paper boy. Lovely Jackson sees Rickey return to the prison where he was sent in 1976 on his way to the electric chair where he narrates and stars in reenactments alongside professional actors (one playing his younger self), and the (then) 12-year-old paper boy, now in his late 50's. Lovely Jackson is a boldly cinematic, epic journey that begins in tragedy, hopelessness, injustice, and death, but ends in hope, beauty, and new life.

Director: Matt Waldeck
Producer: Rickey Jackson, Matt Waldeck, Ben Hecht, Travis Killian, Jillian Wolstein
Screenwriter: Rickey Jackson, Matt Waldeck
Distributor: Innocent Prisoner Advocates
Production Co: Zodiac Features
Genre: Crime, Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 4, 2024, Limited
Runtime: 1h 44m