Posted by | Ray Cornelius
The nominations for this year’s Academy Awards were announced this morning in Los Angeles and the news is sort of bittersweet. The civil right drama “Selma,” which has received critical acclaim around the world, was only nominated for Best Original Song, “Glory” performed by John Legend with Common and “Best Picture.”
The film’s director, Ava DuVernay, who would have been the first African-American female director nominated, was shut out along with the film’s leading man, David Oyelowo, who portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Equally shut out was his co-star, Carmen Ejogo, whose riveted performance as Coretta Scott King, also went unnoticed.
According to news sources, the reason for the snub may be due to the recent controversy over the portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnson in the film. It is also being said that the film’s distributor, Paramount Pictures, may not have sent out award screeners in time. Whatever the matter, this is the first Oscar “whitewash” in years (10 years I believe), where not one of the 20 acting nominees is a person of color. That speaks volumes considering we had two big wins last year with Twelve Year’s a Slave’s Steve McQueen and Lupita Nyong’o.
“Selma” chronicles the landmark 1965 voting rights campaign regarded as the peak of the civil rights movement. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his band of brothers, the movement included several marches from Selma to Montgomery under dangerous opposition with one such event known as Bloody Sunday. The film produced by Pathe and Harpo Films and is in theaters nationwide.
Click here to see the full list of Oscar nominees.
What are your thoughts? Do you think Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo should have been nominated?
Photo Credit: garuyo.com
