In 1988, as the tension of the Cold War began to wind down and a decade of excess and decadence came to its inevitable conclusion, audiences went to theaters to watch a film entitled Mississippi Burning. Led by a stellar cast that featured Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Brad Dourif, Frances McDormand, and Michael Rooker, Mississippi Burning depicted domestic terrorism, unrestrained violence, oppression, and a murder investigation being spearheaded by two FBI agents. Alan Parker, who had previously directed Pink Floyd: The Wall and Angelheart, was at the helm of this production, one that film critic Roger Ebert described as an important statement about a time and a condition that should not be forgotten.