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, Oprah Winfrey

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:

One dream can change the world.

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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

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.

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Goofs

A note at the end of the end credits thanks the cities of Covington, Conyers, and Marietta, Alabama. Those cities are in Georgia, not Alabama. Montgomery and Selma were the only Alabama filming locations.

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Quotes

President Lyndon B. Johnson: Either King stops or Wallace stops or I'll stop them both!

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Crazy Credits

Martin Sheen is not listed in the credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Dakota Johnson/Alabama Shakes (2015)

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Soundtracks

Bamboo Flute Blues
Written & Performed by Yusef Lateef
Courtesy of The Verve Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Captivating Portrayal of the Civil Rights Leader and Intensely Moving Story

The words I best describe this movie are "profound" and "intense." From what I've learned since my school days, equal rights among race was a very touchy subject when it came to American history.

David Oyelowo's portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. was so spot-on that I was immediately drawn in to see every detail of the film play out. I was disturbed and further curious at the same time amongst every scene that unfolded during the key moments of the film.

Basically, it featured how much King sacrificed and went through in the 1960s to maintain blacks rights to vote and eliminate segregation from all states. I couldn't believe how much violent injustice and racial discrimination were used to intimidate innocent people who were trying to have the same rights like many in America.

Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr, and rapper-actor Common brought out great performances as the individuals who stood up for what they truly believe in and they wouldn't let hate stand in their way. Tom Wilkinson's portrayal of President Lyndon B. Johnson was rather physically uncanny and his scenes brought out the angst of what he had to face at a time when violence was further escalating during the Civil Rights Movement. Tim Roth as Governor George Wallace made me feel to hate the man for his segregationist beliefs, but when confronted by President Johnson himself, it just got real.

The juxtaposition of real-life archive footage in the movie gave a nice touch to how very genuine these people of Selma endured plenty of horrible confrontations. Whether these usually ended in violence or even death, they just kept growing in numbers and overcome all who stood against their true beliefs in racial equality.

My only nitpick was that of President Johnson's confrontations with Martin Luther King himself. I've learned in the history books that they've had their fair share of disagreements, but nothing this intense as shown on screen. Nevertheless, it proved that being an American President was no easy feat at a very difficult time. Overall, this is a film that didn't require lengthy (moving) MLK speeches, instead it focused on tense confrontations black people had to endure and how one individual stood tall and fought back not with violence, but with powerful words and strong beliefs. I applaud David Oyelowo and director Ava DuVernay for providing a glimpse into how racism was overcome by one profound man whose legacy still reverberates to this day.

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