A film which, despite its flaws, is well worth watching for its presentation of one of the key events of the Civil Rights movement. It’s 1965 and, according to the film, LBJ (Tom Wilkinson in one of the few roles I’ve not liked him in) is foot-dragging horribly, even maliciously, on the Civil Rights bill. Four girls are killed in a church bombing in response to local, SNCC-led, voting rights efforts, and more die as MLK (David Oyelowo), his SCLC colleagues and advisors, others with their own and different agendas, and community members march, are abused as the world watches, and have to figure out how to proceed. The results include dead local African-Americans and white supporters murdered by state troopers and local thugs. I found the acting and writing somewhat stilted and LBJ caricatured – and I’m hardly a supporter or defender of him. The filmmakers argue this is art not history, but this is where it gets tricky. People get their history from film more than detailed analytical, professional history. It is, therefore, incumbent on filmmakers to be scrupulous in presenting these events. You can’t play it both ways and insist you’re presenting history and then intentionally reshape incidents. Nice use of documentary footage including Sammy Davis, Jr, Harry Belafonte, and Tony Bennett. Very cool. Stellar music, used to fine effect.