Some naysayers have blasted SELMA for its supposed inaccuracies…
They say the film distorts the REAL goings-on during those painful days in 1965 when Martin Luther King was well into his campaign for equal rights and passage of the all important voting rights bill.
They say that President Lyndon B. Johnson’s (Tom Wilkinson) actions aren’t being accurately portrayed here. And that some of King’s famous speeches were tweaked in the film due to his family’s ownership controversy over protected transcripts.
Far be it for me to judge who is right and what is wrong here.
SELMA is after all a Hollywood DRAMA—-NOT a documentary!
And the old industry standby disclaimers of Based On a True Story and Inspired By Actual Events most likely come into play here.
So what is Selma?
It’s the powerful and emotional story of an American movement. The moving story BEHIND those crucial days in 1965 when Martin Luther King negotiated with President Johnson leading up to the historic marches, and the President finally signing the Voting Rights Act!
It was one of the most significant victories of the Civil Rights Movement.
It’s about how King and his team monitored hot spots in the South and selected Selma, Alabama to conduct their march following the new infamous bombing of a black church that killed four young girls.
Through a series of violent demonstrations with local police, the march from Selma over the Edmund Pettus Bridge and on to the capital in Montgomery is a triumphant finale to a very ugly time in this country’s history.
Nominated for four Golden Globe Awards including BEST PICTURE, BEST ACTOR (David Oyelowo) and BEST DIRECTOR (Ava DuVernay), the movie zeros in on many of the historic players of those painful days. They included J. Edgar Hoover and Loretta Scott-King.
The strong supporting cast features Giovanni Ribisi, Tim Roth and Oprah Winfrey as tough Annie Lee-Cooper.
Ms. Winfrey also co-produced the film.
SELMA captures Doctor King and a time in America like no other previous film ever has. Its vital message should be required viewing.
My score: B+
(Reviewed at AMC Ward Parkway)
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings at 6:40 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. on 98.1 KMBZ and anytime on Facebook.
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Yesterday was the 8 year anniversary of the deaths of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsome. When Oprah and Steve make a movie about them, I’ll start checking out the ever increasing numbers of “White Guilt” movies that Hollywood just can’t seem to produce fast enough. Jamie Foxx’s number should be coming up soon, isn’t it time for him to “kill all the white people” again?
“They say that President Lyndon B. Johnson’s (Tom Wilkinson) actions aren’t being accurately portrayed here.”
JFK and Bobby Kennedy cock blocked MLK. If not for LBJ and Republicans, the Southern Democrats and earlier The Kennedy boys would have squashed any civil rights actions. So yeah, the movie is historically inaccurate, god forbid anyone cast a shadow on the Camelot gang. A white, coarse, texan makes for a more appealing target.
Hollywood Libs should love LBJ, but they dont..
‘If you looked at my record, you would know that I am a Roosevelt New Dealer. As a matter of fact, to tell the truth, John F. Kennedy was a little too conservative to suit my taste.” LBJ
Interesting that 80% Black Selma , Alabama is too dysfunctional to support even one movie theater. I’m sure it’s because of slavery, right ?
Oh my god they even have a poster with MLK up in the clouds looking down like Jesus Christ in Heaven.
Everyone needs to do themselves a favor and stop feeding Oprah’s oversized ego.
How much money would it take to see this at the saturday night show at the Plaza Cinemark? 100? 200? 300?