Fruitvale Station (2013)

The story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.

Director:

Ryan Coogler

Writer:

Ryan Coogler

Stars:

Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer

39 wins & 54 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael B. Jordan	...	Oscar Grant
Melonie Diaz	...	Sophina
Octavia Spencer	...	Wanda
Kevin Durand	...	Officer Caruso
Chad Michael Murray	...	Officer Ingram
Ahna O'Reilly	...	Katie
Ariana Neal	...	Tatiana
Keenan Coogler	...	Cato
Trestin George	...	Brandon
Joey Oglesby	...	Cale
Michael James	...	Carlos
Marjorie Crump-Shears	...	Grandma Bonnie (as Marjorie Shears)
Destiny Ekwueme	...	Chantay
Bianca Rodriguez III	...	Vanessa (as Bianca Rodriguez)
Julian Keyes	...	Kris

Storyline

This is the true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who wakes up on the morning of December 31, 2008 and feels something in the air. Not sure what it is, he takes it as a sign to get a head start on his resolutions: being a better son to his mother, whose birthday falls on New Year's Eve, being a better partner to his girlfriend, who he hasn't been completely honest with as of late, and being a better father to T, their beautiful 4 year old daughter. He starts out well, but as the day goes on, he realizes that change is not going to come easy. He crosses paths with friends, family, and strangers, each exchange showing us that there is much more to Oscar than meets the eye. But it would be his final encounter of the day, with police officers at the Fruitvale BART station that would shake the Bay Area to its very core, and cause the entire nation to be witnesses to the story of Oscar Grant.

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Plot Keywords:

gay | friendship | reference to the pittsburgh steelers | ex convict | officer | 

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Taglines:

Every step brings you closer to the edge.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence, language throughout and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Pinterest

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

26 July 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fruitvale

Filming Locations:

Oakland, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$900,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$386,291, 14 July 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$16,097,842, 27 October 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Forest Whitaker's Significant Productions,OG Project

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film received 2 grants from the San Francisco Film Society/Kenneth Rainin Foundation in 2012: $100,000 in May for production, and $100,000 in December for post-production.

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Goofs

Right after Oscar finishes talking with his mom, on the morning of December 31, 2008, he drives by a crowd. One person in the crowd wears a Barcelona jersey from the 2010/2011 season.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Oscar Grant: What's your resolution?
Sophina: I'm gonna cut carbs.
Oscar Grant: Aren't you Mexican? You can't eat nothin' Grandma makes.
Sophina: It only takes 30 days to form a habit, and then it becomes second nature.
Oscar Grant: Who says that?
Sophina: Oprah.
Oscar Grant: Okay. Oprah cool now?
Sophina: What's yours?
Oscar Grant: I wanna quit selling trees.

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Connections

References WALL·E (2008)

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Soundtracks

Mob Shit
Written by M. Wade and D. Newton
Performed by The Jacka, Cellski & Peezy
Courtesy of The Artist Records and Inner City 2K

User Reviews

Do you call 911 when the killer is a cop?

SPOILER: Fruitvale Station (2013) was written and directed by Ryan Coogler. Michael B. Jordan plays Oscar Grant III, an African-American man who was shot to death in the Fruitvale BART station on January 1st, 2009. The man who killed him was a police officer. The killer was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and served about two years in jail.

The film follows Grant through his last day of life--December 31st, 2008. We watch as Grant interacts with his common-law wife, their young daughter, friends, relatives and strangers. Grant comes across as a basically decent man--flawed, undependable, but clearly in love with his family, his partner. and their little girl.

It's hard to enjoy this film, because it's based on a truly tragic event, and we know how the story will end from the beginning of the movie. Still, Fruitvale Station is definitely worth seeing, because it reminds us that everyone's life is always at risk, but that the risks for young, African-American men are higher.

The movie will work well on DVD. It's definitely worth seeking out and seeing.