In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman offer five films that better explore the Black American experience across decades of U.S. history—without reducing it to presidential cameos. Where The Butlerflattens complexity into a highlight reel, these films bring depth, agency, and artistry to the stories of civil rights, political power, and generational struggle.
Films Discussed:
Selma (2014)
All the Way (2016)
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)
Malcolm X (1...
In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman offer five films that better explore the Black American experience across decades of U.S. history—without reducing it to presidential cameos. Where The Butlerflattens complexity into a highlight reel, these films bring depth, agency, and artistry to the stories of civil rights, political power, and generational struggle.
Films Discussed:
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Selma (2014)
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All the Way (2016)
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The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)
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Malcolm X (1992)
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John Lewis: Good Trouble (2020)
Topics Covered:
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Why The Butler’s episodic structure feels like a history PowerPoint
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How Selma balances legacy and interiority in portraying Martin Luther King Jr.
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The dynamic between Bryan Cranston’s LBJ in All the Way vs. Liev Schreiber’s in The Butler
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Cicely Tyson’s powerhouse performance and visual symbolism in Miss Jane Pittman
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The scope and clarity of Spike Lee’s Malcolm X as a gold standard for biopics
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Why Good Trouble is a rare political documentary that feels energized, not sanitized
Key Takeaways:
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The Butler makes presidents the main characters of a story that isn’t about them
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These five films center Black agency, voice, and resistance in ways The Butler doesn’t
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We need stories that aren’t afraid to slow down and sit in the discomfort of history
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You deserve better than watching a parade of wax museum cameos in aging prosthetics
Listener Prompt:
What film helped you understand American history in a new way? Tell us using #MovieMemoryMachine.
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Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
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Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
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Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
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