Oscars 2015: Best Picture Reviews - Selma

Wow, 2014 was an awesome year for film. There's been a lot of complaining that the Oscar nominees aren't diverse enough, but I think it's less about diversity and more about having such an exceptional pool to draw from in selecting nominees. I mean, the Best Picture nominees couldn't be more different and they address everything from mental illness to civil rights to homosexuality to ALS.

Selma is the kind of movie that, in other years, sweeps through the awards season collecting a million awards. It is well-acted, well-directed, well-written, engaging, and an interesting look at a major event in our history. Somehow it came out of the nominations without being a leading contender, but it's not an argument against the film. Instead, it's really a testament to the incredible film making that 2014 brought us.

This is the story of Martin Luther King, Jr. (I find it so strange that this is the first big movie about him!), but not of his entire role in the Civil Rights Movement. Instead, it's the story of Selma, Alabama, the march to Montgomery, and King's push to get the Voting Rights Act signed by President Johnson.