The Birth of a Nation (Official Thread)

[satam55]

As Nate Parker's The Birth of a Nation opens this weekend, the debate over how he could've better handled the fallout from resurfaced 1999 college rape accusations against him is only heating up. Now, it has come to light that one of the most influential people on the planet reportedly tried to advise Parker at the outset of the controversy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oprah Winfrey suggested that Parker do an interview with her best friend Gayle King on CBS to discuss the allegations shortly after they were dug up. (Oprah was one of the first to screen Birth and had praised both the film and Parker on Instagram.) However, Parker was reportedly so "angry" that the charges he'd been acquitted of were being discussed at all that he turned down her help. Since then, Winfrey hasn't uttered another word about Birth or Parker, proving why you never, ever say no to Oprah.

Sources also tell THR that Fox Searchlight, the studio that bought Birth for a record sum, hired a team of PR experts and consultants that included retired NFL player and sexual-violence activist Don McPherson to get Parker "on message," to no avail. “They gave him talking points and he just didn’t execute,” says the source. As for Birth's Oscar chances, Fox is now said to be throwing the bulk of its weight behind its recently acquired property Jackie, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis biopic starring likely Best Actress contender Natalie Portman.

 

[loyola llothta]

man fuk vulture. i actually know one of the nfl fund guy daughter

THE FALLOUT

Producer Aaron Gilbert, who says he cried during his first meeting with Nate Parker, told the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, "I stand by Parker and I stand by this film." But he appears to be the only one of the long list of Birth's producers and executive producers who has publicly commented since the news about Parker's past broke wide.

For all of these people, The Birth of a Nation represents a financial as well as artistic interest, making their connection to the controversy complicated and sensitive, particularly because many of them are on record as saying that they became involved through the force of Parker's personality and conviction. That persuasive case likely didn't include discussion of his past rape accusation — but now, that legacy has become a significant part of the project they invested in.

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

nikkas can't just swallow their pride sometimes.... this was bigger than him and him taking that help would have pushed this movie to a bigger audience and oscar contention


still going to see this but damn... i wanted everyone to see this

 

[satam55]

nikkas can't just swallow their pride sometimes.... this was bigger than him and him taking that help would have pushed this movie to a bigger audience and oscar contention


still going to see this but damn... i wanted everyone to see this

Oprah would've had him tapdancing by only talking about his college rape case/sexual assault/consent instead of the movie and the message around it. If you hadn't noticed most of the white mainstream media outlets (Including the outlets he did interviews with) seemed to only be interested in his college rape case, they don't care about the actual movie & the message. It's black/urban media outlets that genuinely seem interested in the movie.

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

Oprah would've had him tapdancing by only talking about his college rape case/sexual assault/consent instead of the movie and the message around it. If you hadn't noticed most of the white mainstream media outlets (Including the outlets he did interviews with) seemed to only be interested in his college rape case, they don't care about the actual movie & the message. It's black/urban media outlets that were genuinely seem interested in the movie.

Oprah would have had him in that 12 years a slave, suburban housewife, white guilt, cover of entertainment weekly, 3000 screens space.

She still has the fukking power out here. If oprah ok'd him and had Gail throwing him softball ass questions while hammering that he was innocent. Meanwhile the PR firm feeding him all the perfect, safe, white friendly answers to say....... the MOVIE would be bigger.


The article I quoted clearly shows how the second he said nah and did what he wanted to do, his investors and oprah said fukk him.

Same people in here wanting this to get oscar nods are not realizing they are like elections. Have all the greatness you want, if you not greasing the right palms and putting up large amounts of money, you're not winning




I just want a slave movie where we uprise and do some shyt to finally get some shine

 

[The Devil's Advocate]

Double post

 

[LEEeveryday]

i thought he was younger in the opening scene? But the point is more that she was not just along for the ride of slavery, and accepting like the movie depicted.

i normally dont care about stuff like changes, and I dont much in this movie.

But using a fictional rape as the catalyst for his wanting to seek change wasnt a good look. Especially since he knows his past.

At times, it felt like a black man super hero movie.

I strongly disagree with you about this being better than 12 Years a Slave, but I dig actually having a real dialogue with you.

FYI, that didnt actually happen.

Doesn't really matter to me if it happened or not....That scene was poignant and symbolic of the c00n mentality prevalent today.

...loved it...cause it did it's job of drawing emotion from a viewer...

 

[LEEeveryday]

Spoiler

But he became a real nikka as an adult and fought for the Union army tho

is that what that was?...i didn't know...I took it as he was still fighting for the white man.... as we do even today...

..but that's cool to get some historical correction.

 

[Birnin Zana]

Spoiler

But he became a real nikka as an adult and fought for the Union army tho

Spoiler

He obviously regretted doing it though, hence him still shedding a tear waaaayyy into his adulthood. It stayed with him pretty much his entire life.

 

[Birnin Zana]

Oprah would have had him in that 12 years a slave, suburban housewife, white guilt, cover of entertainment weekly, 3000 screens space.

She still has the fukking power out here. If oprah ok'd him and had Gail throwing him softball ass questions while hammering that he was innocent. Meanwhile the PR firm feeding him all the perfect, safe, white friendly answers to say....... the MOVIE would be bigger.


The article I quoted clearly shows how the second he said nah and did what he wanted to do, his investors and oprah said fukk him.

Same people in here wanting this to get oscar nods are not realizing they are like elections. Have all the greatness you want, if you not greasing the right palms and putting up large amounts of money, you're not winning




I just want a slave movie where we uprise and do some shyt to finally get some shine

Michael Finley still lists Birth of a Nation as one of movies he helped produced in his Twitter profile.: Michael Finley (@MichaelFinley) on Twitter

Plus, a lot of those investors aren't public figures, unlike Tony Parker and Michael Finley. Especially the hedge fund guys, so they aren't obligated to go out there. So long as Nate knows they have his back, its all good.

 

[Skooby]

I'm going to see this Monday. Hope it's good.

 

[Birnin Zana]

Birth of a Nation has and an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale from audiences.

Cinemascore

 

[loyola llothta]

Oprah would have had him in that 12 years a slave, suburban housewife, white guilt, cover of entertainment weekly, 3000 screens space.

She still has the fukking power out here. If oprah ok'd him and had Gail throwing him softball ass questions while hammering that he was innocent. Meanwhile the PR firm feeding him all the perfect, safe, white friendly answers to say....... the MOVIE would be bigger.


The article I quoted clearly shows how the second he said nah and did what he wanted to do, his investors and oprah said fukk him.

Same people in here wanting this to get oscar nods are not realizing they are like elections. Have all the greatness you want, if you not greasing the right palms and putting up large amounts of money, you're not winning




I just want a slave movie where we uprise and do some shyt to finally get some shine

no she wouldnt...nobody fuk with Oprah like that anymore this is not 2004. Oprah wanted to make headlines...fuk her she want to leech on something. Parker did the smart thing to keep it about the movie, not this bread and circus bullshyt.... never let them change the narrative


no investors said fukk him...sooo you can stop that lie. Also fuk The Color Purple

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

 

[Akata Man Bromo]

Went to see it last night loved it