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:

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Official site [France]

Country:

UK USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Selma: El poder de un sueño

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

Carmen Ejogo met with Coretta Scott King the first time she played King in 2001. King approved of her portrayal.

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Goofs

In an early scene in the Kings' kitchen, a blender is plugged into a grounded GFCI outlet with a bright green LED. Those technologies were not commonly available until the 1970s.

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Quotes

Martin Luther King Jr.: Selma it is.

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Crazy Credits

The initial credits are shown over stills from the film and from promotional materials.

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Connections

Referenced in Lost L.A.: Dream Factory (2017)

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Soundtracks

Yesterday Was Hard On All of Us
Written by Fink (as Finian Greenall), Guy Whittaker & Tim Thornton
Performed by Fink
Courtesy of Ninja Tune

User Reviews

This is an entertaining drama but it's not for everyone

Selma is a pretty entertaining drama about Martin Luther King, Jr. I think that David Oyelowo did a great job acting. He had a strong role and did a great job bringing the elements of courage and bravery to the screen with his powerful performance. It also had pretty good emotional power in it. This is not for everyone with its talk heavy dialogue but for those who like slower films then this is for them. It doesn't have the same power as "12 Years a Slave" does though. Still, it's good for a few viewings and it is pretty moving at some parts. I was pretty entertained by this. A couple of the boring or slower scenes lost me but there weren't too many of them and most of them were only in the first hour. It did a good job capturing the ugliness of the 1960's with the marches and some other sequences of violence. If you want to see a history lesson on screen then you'll likely enjoy the film.