丹泽尔·华盛顿（Denzel Washington）在片中饰演一位机智、温和、善良、勇敢的南非黑人民权解放运动领袖——斯蒂芬·毕柯（Steven Biko）,于1977年在狱中遭保安警察杀害,凯文·克莱（Kevin Kline）演他的白人记者朋友唐纳德·伍兹（Donald Woods）,他冒着生命危险,带着全家人设法逃离祖国南非,好将毕柯这位自由斗士的事迹昭告世人。丹泽尔·华盛顿因本片获当年奥斯卡最佳男配角奖提名。

　　In the small village of St. Mary Mead, Colonel and Mrs. Bantry, owner of the local manor - Gossington Hall is shocked when one morning a young lady's body is found in the library. They call in the police who soon run up against a brick wall, only finding out that the body is that of a dancer in London who the Bantry's didn't even know. But how and why was her body left in the library? To find out the truth, the Bantry's call in the help of their good friend and detective - Miss Jane Marple.