Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (The Mad Messiah) poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Powers Boothe, Veronica Cartwright, Rosalind Cash, Brad Dourif, Randy Quaid ... see more see more... , James Earl Jones , Ned Beatty , LeVar Burton , Irene Cara , Brenda Vaccaro , Michael C. Gwynne , Dimitra Arliss , Howard Culver , Colleen Dewhurst , Meg Foster , Cheryl Ladd , Diane Ladd , Diana Scarwid , Madge Sinclair , Ron O'Neal

This two-part TV movie was, of course, sparked by the November 1978 mass suicide of 913 people at the South American religious "colony" of Jonestown. The catalyst for this tragedy was cult-leader Reve... read more read more...rend Jim Jones (played by Powers Boothe, who won an Emmy for his performance), head of the so-called People's Temple. The film traces the life of Jones from his days as an idealistic 1960s activist. He drifts into penny-ante confidence scams and bed-hops from woman to woman, before electing to pass himself off as a modern messiah--eventually believing his own feverish sermons. The climactic scenes are chillingly staged in a near-documentary fashion, with Puerto Rico and Georgia substituting for Guyana. Ned Beatty plays the ill-fated Representative Leo Ryan, while James Earl Jones has a cameo as 1930s religious-leader Father Divine; most of the other main characters are composites of real people. Originally broadcast April 15 and 16, 1980, The Guyana Tragedy was adapted by Ernest Tidyman from the Washington Post and Charles A. Krause's Guyana Massacre: An Eyewitness Account. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

65% liked it

680 ratings

Unrated, 4 hr.

Directed by: William A. Graham

Release Date: April 15, 1980

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: February 26, 2008

Stats: 29 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Powers Boothe The Can of SF
Upload a Photo | View All Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (The Mad Messiah) Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (29)

No featured reviews yet. Help by rating our reviews.

View All Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (The Mad Messiah) Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Guyana Tragedy: T... : Watch Free on TV

Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (The Mad Messiah) Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (The Mad Messiah). Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (The Mad Messiah) to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?