7.5/10
70,871
218 user 368 critic

Selma (2014)

Trailer
2:32 | Trailer
A chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.

Director:

Writer:

Reviews
Popularity
3,643 ( 468)
Won 1 Oscar. Another 58 wins & 88 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Gunnar Jahn
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Girl #1
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Girl #2
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Girl #3
Ebony Billups ...
Girl #4
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Girl #5 (as Nadej Bailey)
Elijah Oliver ...
Boy #1
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Clay Chappell ...
Registrar
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President's Secretary
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Storyline

The unforgettable true story chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Director Ava DuVernay's "Selma" tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history. Written by Miss W J Mcdermott

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

One dream can change the world. See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic material including violence, a suggestive moment, and brief strong language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

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Language:

Release Date:

9 January 2015 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Selma - La strada per la libertà  »

Filming Locations:

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Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$633,173, 2 January 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$52,076,908

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$66,787,908
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

David Oyelowo fought very hard for 7 years to get the role of Martin Luther King Jr. Lee Daniels, the original director, eventually cast him. Oyelowo convinced the producers that Ava DuVernay was the right director to take over the project. See more »

Goofs

Martin Luther King replaces a transparent plastic trash bag. In 1965, home garbage cans were lined with a paper shopping bag, if at all. See more »

Quotes

President Lyndon B. Johnson: Are you trying to shit me, George Wallace? Are you trying to fuck over your president?
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Crazy Credits

Apart from the production companies involved, there are no opening credits. See more »

Connections

Featured in Film 2017: Episode #44.6 (2015) See more »

Soundtracks

I Got the New World In My View
Performed by Sister Gertrude Morgan
Courtesy of Big Deal Music on behalf of Preservation Hall
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Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Something is Missing, Flat
19 January 2015 | by See all my reviews

Something, hard to define, is missing in this important film. This film takes the viewer on a journey to Selma Alabama at the crucial time of the Civil Rights movement that took place during the life of Martin Luther King. It covers the important facts, describing clearly the sad situation that people of color faced in trying to register to vote in the segregated south. Even today, the efforts by white-dominated election boards make it more and more difficult for people of color to register and make their votes in the old south. The actor playing Dr. King, in my view, is one of the serious problems this film has. He seems to do a good job, but something serious is missing. The fact that he is not an American is part of this problem. There is something artificial about his acting. It is technically sound, yet lacks some deeper presentation of the driven, inspiring personality that defined Dr. King. Perhaps the problem is in the context. We don't really see any sense of the history that lead to this confrontation. The beat down on the bridge is, in my view, poorly filmed and does very little to capture the full outrage, violence and terror of that event. Certainly this is a difficult scene to set up and record, but Hollywood is very well-equipped to do things like this. A lot has been made of the so-called snubbing of Oprah in this film. She has a small part in the beginning of the film, a scene that could have been played by anyone. The scene where she tries to register to vote, while being questioned and intimidated by a series of crazy questions from the voter registrar is very helpful in telling us what this film is about. There is nothing exceptional about her small part, so I see no cause at all for her to imagine that for such a small part she should be nominated for an Academy Award. The very idea seems really childish. A lot of facts were left out, or glossed over; so an enormous opportunity seems to have been lost. Selma is a good film about the civil rights movement, but not a great film. It is flat, the lead actors are not very interesting and the script, in particular, seems half- finished. It comes across as a rough draft of an idea for a film rather than a finished product. I was very disappointed in this film. In particular I did not like the actors playing Doctor King or President Johnson. The photography, the camera work, as well was not very good...flat and dry. Perhaps we all have inflated expectations. This is such an important and dramatic story; yet it was created and presented in a very un-inspired form with to many missing parts. The part I absolutely did not like at all in any way is the "song" that closes the film. The semi-rap composition was very disrespectful and tried much to hard to be "relevant". And the fact that it is one of the few points on which it was nominated by the Academy, as "best song" is just sad.


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