Selma honors MLK and the Civil Rights Movement in a timely, sobering manner

Movie:   Selma

Grade:  A

PG-13

In a Nutshell:  This is a sobering film to watch, and especially now as so many racist clashes have been occurring around the country.  It’s not only a historic memorial, but a part of the continuing story of our country. We have come a long way, but there is still so much more distance we need to go.  Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films appropriately released this powerful film to run during January, when we honor Martin Luther King Jr. for what he was able to accomplish in the Civil Rights movement for our country.

I visited the “eternal flame” at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta, GA when I was just out of high school.  I remember buying one of the books in the bookstore while I was there and reading some of his speeches for the first time.  One thing I enjoyed about this film was that it lets us glimpse into the personal life and private moments of this amazing and, at times, flawed Civil Rights leader.

Uplifting Theme:

·         “I’m no different from anyone else.   I want to live long be happy.  But I’ll not be focusing on what I want today.  I’m focused on what God wants.  We’re here for a reason, though many, many storms.  But today, the sun is shining and I’m about to stand in its warmth alongside a lot of freedom-loving people who worked hard to get us here.  I may not be here for all the sunny days to come, but as long as there’s light ahead for them, it’s worth it to me.”  - Martin Luther King  Jr.

Things I liked:

·         It was disgraceful that African American men were given the right to vote in the 15^th Amendment in 1870, but that they weren’t able to exercise those rights until many decades later.  Of course, women of any color weren’t allowed to vote until 1920. This film isn’t a history of the entire Civil Rights movement, but it takes a look at a small window of time in Selma, Alabama and that town’s struggle with suffrage.

·         I thought it was interesting to watch the interaction between Malcolm X and Mrs. King.  Although their tactics were different, they both wanted equal rights for the black community.

·         Several times Martin said unkind things to his wife and immediately apologized.  The movie portrayed a loving, forgiving marriage.

·         It’s difficult to watch such ignorant racism.  Tim Roth from Lie to Me: Season 1 does a great job portraying the bigoted and small-minded governor of Alabama.  (Season 1 was the best season, then it got a bit goofy.)

·         I thought British actor David Oyelowo did a FANTASTIC job as Martin Luther King Jr.   He nailed the accent and essence of the inspiring preacher.

·         I thought the song at the end was a clever mix of an earlier religious fervor with a modern-day respectful rap.

·         Tom Wilkinson did an excellent job portraying Lyndon B. Johnson’s conflicted attitudes prior to signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

·         Rarely in Hollywood movies are religious figures the heroes.  MLK and Christian values are portrayed in a very positive light in this film.

Things I didn’t like:

·         Someone barked “Jesus H. Christ!”  What does the “H” stand for?

      The movie is full of gravitas with no relief to counter-weigh the heaviness.

Inspiring lines:

·         “I accept this honor by our lost ones, whose deaths paved our paths,  and for the 20 million negro men and women motivated by dignity and a disdain for hopelessness.”  - Martin Luther King Jr. when he received the Peace prize from Norway

·         “There are no words.  But I can tell one thing for certain: God was the first one to cry for your boy.”  - Martin Luther King Jr. to the father of a young black man who was shot

·         “Our life is not fully lived unless we are willing to die for those we love for what we believe.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

·         “No citizen of this country can call themselves blameless, for we all bare responsibility for our fellowman.” – MLK

·         “I speak tonight about the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy.  At times, history and fate meet at the same time in a single place. “ – President Lyndon B. Johnson

·         “There is no negro problem.  There is no southern problem.  There is only an American problem.” – LBJ

·         “We shall do this.  We shall overcome.”  - MLK & LBJ

Tips for Parents:

·         2 F-bombs, bloody violence, upsetting scenes of brutality, full of racial slurs, vulgar hand gesture from actual footage of the time, reference to MLK’s affairs, and other profanity that are not appropriate for children.  Teenagers should be able to begin meaningful discussions about such topics as the Civil Rights movement, voting, equality, and racism after viewing this powerful film.

Another movie of this time period I recommend is The Butler.  You can read my review of that film here.

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Martin Luther King would have loved the movie "The Butler"

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I wanted to share a review of Lee Daniels' The Butler , released just last week on DVD.   I simply don’t understand how a mediocre movie like “American Hustle” can get nominated for Golden Globe and Academy awards when powerful movies like Lee Daniels' The Butler are completely overlooked.

Movie Title:  Lee Daniels' The Butler

PG-13, 2 hours 12 minutes

Grade: A

In a Nutshell:  Packed full of awesome star power, Lee Daniels' The Butler is a sobering look at U.S. history and the evolution of black Civil Rights. The film begins with the quote “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”   “Light” has long been a symbol representing knowledge, truth, and understanding.

Lee Daniels’ gripping movie begins in 1926 Macon, Georgia where slavery was outlawed, yet still practiced culturally in the south.  “The only thing I ever knew was cotton” are the first words you hear from Cecil Gaines, a black man whose family worked on a plantation and destroyed by the bigoted, evil property owner.  Cecil’s journey takes him to the White House to serve as a butler and experience first-hand the political changes that affected a family and a nation.

For those unfamiliar with black history in this country, this “crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice” is shown in a Forest Gump-like overview through significant milestones in Civil Rights, such as: the Executive Order in Little Rock, 1960’s Fisk University, Freedom Writers [Blu-ray] , 1965 Malcolm X speaking tour, Bloody Sunday, Vietnam, The Black Panther movement in the 1960’s, and on up through President Obama. You hear the “N” word used a lot, a word defined in the film as a “white man’s word filled with hate.”

Uplifting theme:  There are many uplifting themes throughout the movie that should spark interesting conversations about equal rights at your dinner table.  It was fascinating to watch father and son approach their desire for equality and respect in different ways: one with dignity and patience, the other with reckless passion.  The screen shows the words “This film is dedicated to the men and women who fought for freedom in the Civil Rights movement.”  Thankfully, the movie points out that the group includes both white and black patriots.  It’s hard to believe that only a few decades ago, black Americans were not allowed to drink out of the same drinking fountain as Caucasians.  While our society still has a long way to go in regards to racism, we have come far.

Things I liked:

• I thought the White House dinner scene was extremely powerful, combining it with scenes from the famous Woolworth restaurant scene.  Many of the film’s montages were very well done.
• I love Robin Williams in everything.  He plays President Eisenhower in this movie.  Cecil serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler.
• I love Alan Rickman in anything.  He was a delightful Reagan.
• I also adore James Marsden and thought he was perfect as John F. Kennedy.  I appreciate it when actors actually try to use the correct accent when playing the role of a real person in history.
• I loved seeing real TV clips from history as the movie progressed through significant times in our country’s history.
• The beginning and end of the movie both show an old man sitting in a chair in the White House.  I love it when movies take you in full circle.

Things I didn’t like:

• Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and many of the film’s actors did an excellent job, yet were left out of Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.
• I thought it was actually offensive to see Jane Fonda playing Nancy Reagan.  Casting her in any political role is sure to spark controversy.
• Mariah Carey wasn’t entirely believable as a wife of a black man, although she plays one in real life.   Oh, snap!
• Because there was so much history to cover in a short amount of time (although the movie is 2 hours 12 minutes long), some scenes seemed a bit rushed and superficial.

Funny lines:

• “We have no tolerance for politics here at the White House.”  - Maynard at the job interview.  The audience I sat in howled with laughter.
• John F. Kennedy says “I’ll be looking forward to working with you the next four years.”  Jacqueline Kennedy quickly corrects “Eight years.”

Inspiring lines:

• Referring to the White House, Gloria Gaines says “I don’t care what goes on in that house.  I care what goes on in this house.”
• “A hero is one who fights to save the soul of our country.”  - Louis
• “Americans always turn a blind eye to our won.  We look out to the world and judge.  We hear about the concentration camps, but these camps went on for 200 years in America.”  - Cecil Gaines

Tips for parents:  I thought it was interesting that the only F-bomb in the movie was spoken by the white Vice President of the United States.  There is some profanity, infidelity, lots of racism, and violence.  Not a movie for young children, but older teens may be introduced to some history that they never learned about in school.