To capture the language and dialects of the era and regions in which the film takes place , dialect coach Michael Buster assisted the cast in altering their speech . The language has a literary quality related to the style of writing of the day and the strong influence of the King James Bible . Buster explained : After both won Oscars at the 86th Academy Awards , it was reported that McQueen and Ridley had been in an ongoing feud over screenplay credit . McQueen reportedly had asked Ridley for shared credit , which he declined . McQueen appealed to Fox Searchlight , which sided with Ridley . Neither thanked the other during their respective acceptance speeches at the event . Since the event , Ridley has noted his regret for not mentioning McQueen and denied the feud . He spoke favorably of working with McQueen , and explained that his sole screenplay credit was due to the rules of the Writers Guild of America . McQueen has not commented on the alleged feud
86th Academy Awards
86th Academy Awards
12 Years a Slave (film)