‘Selma’ Director: Ex-LBJ Aide’s Criticism Of My Film Is ‘Jaw Dropping’

From left, Ava DuVernay, David Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo attend Selma and the Legends Who Paved the Way special screening and gala in Santa Barbara, CA on Saturday, December 6, 2014. (Photo: Michael Underwood / ABIma... From left, Ava DuVernay, David Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo attend Selma and the Legends Who Paved the Way special screening and gala in Santa Barbara, CA on Saturday, December 6, 2014. (Photo: Michael Underwood / ABImages) via AP Images MORE LESS
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The director of “Selma” pushed back this week against a screed attacking the film by a former assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson, calling the views “jaw dropping and offensive.”

Former Johnson aide Joseph A. Califano Jr. blasted the Martin Luther King, Jr. movie an op-ed in the Washington Post on Friday, claiming it unfairly portrayed his onetime boss in an negative light.

“The movie should be ruled out this Christmas and during the ensuing awards season,” he wrote, saying that the historic civil rights march in the film was actually “LBJ’s idea.”

Director Ava DuVernay was not convinced by his argument. Replying to a critic’s tweet mentioning the Califano op-ed on Sunday, DuVernay took the ex-official to task:

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Notable Replies

  1. I’m deeply offended that Michelle Obama stole my idea to eat healthy foods.

  2. Avatar for chammy chammy says:

    Califano may be suffering from dementia. My jaw dropped just reading that article the other day. How he could believe what he says is “unbelievable”.

  3. Avatar for phaz phaz says:

    I just read the transcript of the January 15, 1965 phone conversation between Johnson and King. Califano’s commences spot on.

  4. Avatar for phaz phaz says:

    I just read the transcript of the January 15, 1965 phone conversation between Johnson and King. Califano’s comments seem spot on.

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