Nationwide — Selma, the hit film directed by Ava DuVernay, has been nominated for Best Picture at the upcoming Academy Awards. Starring David Oyelowo, who portrays Martin Luther King Jr., the film has also been nominated for Best Original Song for the track “Glory” – written and performed by Common and John Legend.
But the controversy is that director Ava DuVernay and actor David Oyelowo were both snubbed for the Best Director and Best Actor awards. In fact, no Black director, actor or actress has been nominated this year for these Oscar awards.
Ava DuVernay, commented, “For the film to be, I think, reduced—reduced is really what all this is—to one talking point of a small contingent of people who don’t like one thing, I think is unfortunate.”
Even Common spoke out, saying, “I was definitely disappointed. I was definitely wishing that Ava had received an Oscar nomination for best director and wishing David had received an Oscar nomination for best actor. It’s a disappointment. But I found some victory and happiness in the fact that the movie is nominated for best picture. That says a lot about Ava, because she is the director of the movie. She created the film to be best picture. I hope she at least feels great about that.”
Regardless, the film still has a chance to win the Best Picture award for these 5 reasons:
#1 – Great casting: The casting alone for actor David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King was perfect, as he mastered the look and mannerisms of the late civil rights king. Even actress Carmen Ejogo was a great choice to play Coretta Scott King.
#2 – Great acting: Across the board, the acting in the film was genuine and real, and very believable. Even the extras played the parts well.
#3 – Great script: The script is amazing, even though King’s original speeches had to be re-written because of legal reasons. The speeches, although not as good as the originals, still reflected the way King would have delivered him.
#4 – Original: Although it seems like this is a re-do of another film, this is actually the first ever major film that follows the story of Martin Luther King. It is 100% original, and there is no film like it!
#5 – Star Power: Having the right people can definitely add a different touch. Not only does Oprah Winfrey co-star in the film, she and actor Brad Pitt also came on board as producers.
For more details about the film, visit www.selmamovie.com
Watch the Trailer Below: