Customer Reviews

Selma, Lord, Selma

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Selma, Lord, Selma" fills an important niche by telling a story of the Civil Rights Movement in a manner that is accessible to upper elementary students (and older). The characters and situations are believable, and the story is told from the perspecive of a young--almost 12 years old--African-American girl who got involved after writing a report on Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

While this film portrays the harshness of the situation, including two deaths, it is not graphic or gratutitous. I personally appreciated the way the non-violent Civil Rights movement of Rev. King and his followers was based on their Christian beliefs. The film is not preachy, but the religious context of the movement is realistically portrayed.

As the school librarian, I will be recommending this video to teachers in our elementary school as an option for the Martin Luther King holiday.

This movie starts out a wee bit slow, but stay with it. It is *well* worth it.

"Lord, Selma, Lord" is based on the real life story of two 12 year old girls, Sheyann Webb-Christburg and Rachel West Nelson who were involved in the Civil Rights movment in Selma, Alabama in 1965. (the movie is based, in part, on their memoirs)

The movie's depiction of the Freedom March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery was incredibly well done. I felt like I already knew a lot about "Bloody Sunday" (March 7, 1965) but this movie portrayed that march in a way that stirred me very deeply.

This movie is a must for anyone with children. The violence is handled in a way suitable for children over 8 years old (in my maternal opinion) and it really brings the civil rights movement down to an individual level. It also did a superior job of showing that civil rights (specifically, the right of all people to vote) came at a great cost.

The end of the movie left me in tears; all the more so as I realized this movie was based on fact. Very stirring and also a good tool for opening up dialogue with your children on the whole topic of civil rights.

I had watched this movie in school during my history class, we were studying the civil rights movement.And I think that this movie did a great job showing and describing the event. I think that this movie is very inspirational, and it would make you will grateful for what you have. This movie is from the view of an African American little school girl who wanted to take part in the civil rights marches in her community. She was a very brave girl who was very determined to reach the goal of freedom. Other characters in the movie were also very great and very good with their role like the young Reverend in the movie named Jonathon.

Jurnee Smollett gave a stellar performance as Sheyann Webb-Christburg, a young freedom fighter who worked with MLK early in 1965. Set in March of 1965, the bright, resourceful Sheyann attends church meetings where Dr. King speaks. Bright and confident, young Sheyann offers her input on the efforts the freedom fighters are making towards securing civil rights in Selma.

Sheyann sings in church and impresses the congregation. Jurnee, as Sheyann has a clear, pure voice that is full of deep emotion. This gifted little girl has so much to offer -- the feeling she puts into her singing is a natural element and not something that can be taught.

The story closes with the freedom marchers crossing the Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965. Fortunately for all, the story does not end on "Bloody Sunday, 1965," but with an update of Sheyann, her friend Rachel and the other people who joined in their quest for civil rights. This movie brought tears to my eyes, especially the part about the young white priest who was murdered prior to Bloody Sunday.

This is such a worthwhile film.

"Selma, Lord, Selma" is generally accurate. However, in the movie, Jonathan Daniels, the white priest from New Hampshire, shows up in Selma much earlier than he did in reality, and the story of this black movement is told through a white character. In reality, Daniels came to Selma after "Bloody Sunday." Great movie, but stuck in the conventions of 1999 where there had to be a main white character, in my opinion.
Disney makes the two main role girls several years older than they were in reality -- maybe because the audience wouldn't like a girl barely 9 years old repeatedly cutting school to attend meetings and marches, maybe to fit the ages of the actors?
There is some natural telescoping and consolidation of the complicated events to fit them into a 90-minute movie, e.g. two marches instead of the real three.
The movie shows a flashback of Jimmie Lee Jackson's 1965 death as if it occurred in daytime, with Jonathan Daniels present. Daniels wasn't at Jackson's death, in reality. Then the movie shows a newspaper clipping accurately reporting that Jackson died at night. The deputy sheriff who shot Jackson pled guilty to manslaughter in 2010 and served six months in jail.
Yes, there does have to be a sort of omnipresent narrator, but the role of ominpresent narrator would have been served by the two girls, Sheyann Webb and Rachel West, who wrote the book "Selma, Lord, Selma."
The movie changes the name of some characters. The real-life Sheriff Clark is "Sheriff Potts" in the movie. The real-life Amelia Boynton is "Mrs. Blythe" in the movie.
The role of the girls' teacher, "Miss Bright" in the movie, is played by the real-life daughter of Dr. King, Yolanda King.
Strangely, the death of Jonathan Daniels is changed in the movie. The movie shows a KKK member walking up to Daniels, after Daniels was released from jail, and shooting Daniels on the street with a pistol.
In reality, Daniels had just been released from jail when a man with a shotgun confronted them and pointed the shotgun at a teenager. Daniels pushed the teenager down, saving her life, and Daniels was shot and killed with the shotgun.
It is a very moving and worthwhile movie.

I first had the privlage of watching Selma, Lord, Selma in Febuary 2000 in my 6th grade social studies/language/history class with Mrs. Shelle Franklin as my teacher. I just want to say it is a very emotional movie even though I was a 12 year old boy in a room full of my peers I was still a bit teary-eyed. Here's how bad I was... I memorized the words to "Turn Me 'Round" a foot-tapping freedom song sang by Shyanne in the film. Also for those who have seen the movie and did not know the young white preacher Johnathan is played by Mckenzie Astin who played Andy on the 1984-1988 seasons of The Facts Of Life. And the shool teacher is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's real life daughter. Well, hope you watch and enjoy the movie. It truly is a Disney Masterpiece.

I watch many of the Disney Channels original movies but this was one of their best. I found myself tapping my foot to the beat of the rythem of the song "Turn Me Round". The movie is about Selma, Alabama in 1965. Martin Luther King is leading the different marches and the police are beating and killing people. You find yourself a bit teary-eyed at the end of this movie.

"Selma, Lord, Selma" is truly inspirational, but my mother Rachel West Nelson was untruthfully portrayed. Her role in "Selma, Lord, Selma" was undoubtly anything but reality. She was presented as someone who was afraid and someone who did not participate in the Civil Rights Movement of 1965. Let me speak for her and say that she marched every march but the "Bloody Sunday" march with Sheyanne Webb. They were best friends and they did it all together. My mother was told by her parents and my grandparents not to take part in this march, therefore; she did not participate. We watched it as a family and we loved it, but I want everyone to know the truth about my mother, Rachel West Nelson.

Excellent production! In my middle school language arts classrooms I used this to support lessons on the Civil Rights, ethnic diversity, and the hero's journey. The students were rivoted and talked about the movie for weeks.

All I have to say...is that Selma Lord Selma is the absolute best movie today! It is about Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement in the 60's. My teacher showed us this movie a couple of years ago. I love it! I recommend everyone goes out and buys it. It is a great video!