Selma (2014)

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:

Ava DuVernay

Writer:

Paul Webb

Stars:

David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth

Won 1 Oscar. Another 59 wins & 89 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Oyelowo	...	Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Carmen Ejogo	...	Coretta Scott King
Jim France	...	Gunnar Jahn
Trinity Simone	...	Girl #1
Mikeria Howard	...	Girl #2
Jordan Rice	...	Girl #3
Ebony Billups	...	Girl #4
Nadej K. Bailey	...	Girl #5 (as Nadej Bailey)
Elijah Oliver	...	Boy #1
Oprah Winfrey	...	Annie Lee Cooper
Clay Chappell	...	Registrar
Tom Wilkinson	...	President Lyndon B. Johnson
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Lee White
Haviland Stillwell	...	President's Secretary
André Holland	...	Andrew Young

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.

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Plot Keywords:

civil rights | protest | selma alabama | courage | u.s. politics | 

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Taglines:

The gripping story of Martin Luther King Jr's historic struggle for equality.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic material including violence, a suggestive moment, and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Official site [France]

Country:

UK USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Selma

Filming Locations:

Marietta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$571,450, 28 December 2014

Gross USA:

$52,076,908

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$66,787,908

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pathé, Harpo Films, Plan B Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Surround 7.1 Datasat Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During their White House meeting, President Lyndon Baines Johnson implores Alabama governor George Wallace to consider his future legacy, saying, "George, you and I shouldn't be thinking about 1965, we should be thinking about 1985." Lyndon Baines Johnson died in 1973. In 1985, George Wallace was still alive, and two years into his fourth and final term as Alabama governor.

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Goofs

When Martin Luther King goes for a drive with John Lewis to talk, the movement of the steering wheel doesn't always match the movement of the view out of the windows, especially when cornering.

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Quotes

Martin Luther King Jr.: Those who have gone before us say "no more"! No more!
[church congregation repeats in unison]
Martin Luther King Jr.: NO MORE!
[church congregation again repeats him]
Martin Luther King Jr.: That means protest! That means march! That means disturb the peace! That means jail! That means risk! That is hard!
[church congregation applauds]

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Crazy Credits

Martin Sheen is not listed in the credits.

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Connections

Referenced in National Voting Rights Museum and Institute (2015)

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Soundtracks

Contemporary Focus
Written & Performed by McCoy Tyner
Courtesy of The Verve Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Far more important than entertaining

Some of the darkest and saddest pieces of our history often make for the most compelling and powerful films of the year. Such is the case with Selma which takes us back to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, showing us the tragic strife that the African American community was put through. Selma focuses specifically on the voting rights movement where Dr. King and his followers led an historical march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to peacefully protest Alabama's segregated voting rights in order to obtain equality across the voting board. It's a startlingly relevant film that explores a time in US history many would prefer to forget, and one that challenges us to look at our modern day society and draw some disturbing connections.

Admittedly it is a little bit sad that a film about civil rights can still have so much relevance in 2015, but such is the way of prejudice and bigotry in all of its ever changing forms. Selma does a fantastic job at making this fight as real and accessible as possible, highlighting this struggle on a personal level for King and his associates. These events were well before my time, but as far as I know this film paints a very realistic picture of the time, from the look of the sets, the costumes, and the emotions and tensions filling the air.

At the end of the day, though, it's the portrayal of Dr. King that drives this film home. David Oyelowo is a powerhouse that carries this film with a startlingly accurate representation of the reverend; one that is filled to the brim with passion and poise, while also breaking down the larger than life illusion that surrounds the man, and bringing him down to earth as the very real and very flawed human being he actually was. His controversial decisions are touched upon in the film, as well as his infidelities which truly bring him to the human level.

It's a damn good thing that Oyelowo can carry this film, too, as the emotional prowess of the story relies solely on him. Selma is packed with a great supporting cast with everyone from Tom Wilkinson to Tim Roth to rapper Common, but there is no denying that all these supporting players play second fiddle to Oyelowo. If Oyelowo is at a 10 as the lead of the film the rest of the cast sits at an 8 across the board with no one character getting a lot of attention as the focus consistently remains on King. I would have liked to see some more attention turned towards the supporting cast, but with a biopic on one of the most influential names in American history you almost have to expect this.

Selma highlights a grim portion of our history, one so grim that it needs to be immortalized in film so that we don't forget the troubled history we came from. This is an incredibly important film about an incredibly important man. It's not something you watch for entertainment value and not something you watch over and over again, but it is something you need to watch to gain some highly accurate perception of a crucial time in history it is imperative we never forget.