Marshall - 1 nomination

Original Song, "Stand Up for Something," Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Lonnie R. Lynn and Diane Warren

Could someone please explain to me why nobody has heard of this incredible movie?  I don't recall seeing a single piece of advertising, a preview at a movie (I see a lot of movies, as you can imagine), a single ad in a magazine.  Dear PR team for this film, you're fired!

This film follows a young Thurgood Marshall who travels the country for the NAACP and defends hopeless African Americans who have been charged with crimes they didn't commit just because they are black.  In this case, Joseph Spell (Sterling K Brown) is accused of rape and attempted murder by a wealthy white woman, desperate for her husband not to find out that they slept together.  Marshall partners with another attorney, as the court will not grant him privilege to serve in a state where he is not licensed, so Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) becomes the official "of counsel" to the defendant.  Together, they work hard to earn a not guilty verdict.

Chadwick Boseman is making a career out of biopics having played Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and now Thurgood Marshall (he is certainly on his way to an Oscars nomination in the future).  If it was up to me, I'd keep giving him these juicy real-life roles.  He was different in each film, managing to pay homage to the real person without it being a cheesy impression of the real person.

Now, I don't know how much of this film is based on fact, or is historical, but it is worth every minute of the two hours to watch it.  The song is glorious (thank you Diane Warren and her NINTH Oscars nomination for Original Song) and powerful, and means something even as the events of today unfold.  I am MAD that I didn't see this film or even know about it before the Oscars nominated this song.  Now that you know about it, see it.