Betty & Coretta

This is a poignant tribute to the courage and fortitude of two unexpected civil rights heroes. It's narrated by celebrated actress Ruby Dee, whose firsthand accounts of the women she knew through her own activist work frame Betty & Coretta's segments. For many, this will be an introduction to these two figures who typically blend into the scenery in history's telling of their famous husbands' work on behalf of human liberty. But the movie makes a strong case for their own place in the books, earned by Betty's and Coretta's willingness to step up and carry the load left behind when their husbands were killed.

But following two stories over the course of three decades is no small undertaking for a TV movie, and it suffers a bit from an inconsistent pace. It's often difficult to follow the timeline (especially since the actresses themselves don't seem to age much), and rarely do the characters or narrator reference the passage of years in quantifiable terms. In light of this, viewers will have an easier time keeping up with the story's progress if they have some familiarity with the major events in the civil rights movement and its aftermath. In any case, it's a beautifully crafted tale punctuated by passionate lead performances that shed light on these brave women's lives and may encourage further research and discussion about this turning point in American history.