"Selma" Came Up Short at The Oscars Due to Being "Too Political"

Scene from Selma (2014)

With everything going on in the world, specifically in relation to The George Floyd Protests, there is a lot of focus around the need for change. Many are taking moments to look back on their lives and wonder how they could better themselves. Among the films that many are turning to is Selma (2014), which managed to nab an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. It's a film whose importance remains abundantly clear, especially as the cry for unity parallels modern events. However, this past week also brought about some news regarding why a film so monumental may have under-performed with The Academy: it was too political. In a recent Twitter conversation, it was revealed that the phrase "I Can't Breathe" kept the film from doing better, and in the process showed how much has changed in just five years and what still needs to be improved.

A few years back, I chronicled the reason why Selma didn't do so well at the Oscars. At the time I highlighted that it was mostly because of its late release, where the screeners weren't made available at the time. While this may not seem like an issue, simple access to a film would sink lesser films' chances at glory. Similarly, Carol's lack of Best Picture nomination was blamed on a poor release strategy backed by a terrible screene. It's the type of thing that hurts films no matter what they're about. For me, that's the most plausible reason that the film failed to get more than two Oscar nominations, winning one for Best Original Song.

But in hindsight, Selma's campaign only really needed reality to back things up. The Ferguson Uprising happened almost simultaneously, reflecting that the effort that Martin Luther King Jr. continues to be needed. It's thorny to some, but the need for Civil Rights in the 21st century remains an important issue.

However, the issue with Selma's Oscar chances are completely tied to the simultaneous Oscars So White movement that called out the all-white nominees between the films of 2014 and 2015. On her way out, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs put in measures to have a more diverse voting body. In that time we've seen a more interesting group of nominees and winners, including the first All-Black queer narrative (Moonlight) and the first international film (Parasite). With that said, we've seen hiccups on the road there, and Selma was the biggest victim.

According to a recent Twitter exchange, Selma's desire to use their voice for good proved to be problematic for the apolitical crowd. By wearing shirts that said "I Can't Breathe" (a phrase uttered by Eric Garner, who had recently been murdered by cops), they were considered to be too political for Oscars. Given that they were only a few years off from giving 12 Years a Slave top honors and Spotlight was given the award for the thorny subject of sexual assault in the Catholic church the following year, it's quite something to accuse Selma of being too political.

For those who think that there wasn't an uproar at the time, do know that there was. The Oscars So White movement was largely favorable to Selma and was mad (as was I) that David Oyelowo remains nomination-less. As mentioned, change has been made since that has made this less of an issue. It's not completely gone, but it's interesting to note how things have changed in five years. Maybe it's because of how political the world became in light of the 2016 American presidential election, but the world feels different in just that short of time. If Selma had been nominated in any year since there's a good chance that this may look different.

While one can be mad about Oscar history, it's important to know that this did lead to change following an open conversation, as figures like Honorary Oscar winner Spike Lee used part of his speech to speak up for diversity. One can hope that it continues to change. Selma director Ava Duvernay has been nominated since for Best Documentary for the even more scarring The 13th, which explores how the 13th amendment didn't free Black people entirely, but only shifted how they were perceived socially. 

This is also a good opportunity to suggest that if you're wanting to see what's so great about Selma, now is a great time to get on board. In light of current events that mirror moments in the film, it will be available through the month of June for Free on all digital platforms. Make sure to give it a chance, as it will add significance to how activism echoes throughout American history. Similar things can be said for Just Mercy, which is also now available for free throughout June. Finally, if you have Netflix, you can check out the Oscar-nominated The 13th right now. 

There's an endless amount of entertainment out there that is available for you to explore these protests in a bigger context. If you're not out there protesting in person, then support these stories, learn their lessons, and work towards making a more compassionate future where these events aren't likely to keep happening. I know that it's not an overnight thing but a lifelong struggle, but we all have to try.