The Public (2018)

An act of civil disobedience turns into a standoff with police when homeless people in Cincinnati take over the public library to seek shelter from the bitter cold.

Director:

Emilio Estevez

Writer:

Emilio Estevez

Stars:

Alec Baldwin, Taylor Schilling, Emilio Estevez

5 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alec Baldwin	...	Detective Bill Ramstead
Taylor Schilling	...	Angela
Emilio Estevez	...	Stuart Goodson
Jena Malone	...	Myra
Christian Slater	...	Josh Davis
Jacob Vargas	...	Ernesto Ramirez
Gabrielle Union	...	Rebecca Parks
Derek Polen	...	William Larsen
Michael Kenneth Williams	...	Jackson (as Michael K. Williams)
Jeffrey Wright	...	Anderson
Rhymefest	...	Big George (as Che Rhymefest Smith)
Ki Hong Lee	...	Chip
Patrick Hume	...	Caesar
Richard T. Jones	...	Chief Tom Edwards
Susanna Thompson	...	Marcy Ramstead

Storyline

In "the public" an unusually bitter Arctic blast has made its way to downtown Cincinnati and the front doors of the public library where the action of the film takes place. The story revolves around the library patrons, many of whom are homeless, mentally ill and marginalized, as well as an exhausted and overwhelmed staff of librarians who often build emotional connections and a sense of obligation to care for those regular patrons. At odds with library officials over how to handle the extreme weather event, the Patrons turn the building into a homeless shelter for the night by staging an "Occupy" sit in. What begins as an act of civil disobedience becomes a stand off with police and a rush-to-judgment media constantly speculating about what's really happening. This David versus Goliath story tackles some of our nation's most challenging issues, homelessness and mental illness and sets the drama inside one of the last bastions of democracy-in-action: your public library.

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Plot Keywords:

cincinnati ohio | library | homelessness | public library | cincinnati | 

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Taglines:

Every Story Matters.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material, nudity, language, and some suggestive content

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rapper Rhymefest portrays Big George in this film. He also wrote and performed three songs for the film's soundtrack: "Weaponized," "See Clear," and "Make Noise."

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Goofs

In 'Artic' cold weather you should see everyone outside breath when they speak. No one was even shivering.

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Quotes

Josh Davis: Stuart Goodson... What is it with this guy? He seems hell bent on ruining my week!
Anderson: He thinks he's saving people's lives by keeping them out of the cold.
Josh Davis: Well, we have shelters in place for that!
Ernesto Ramirez: Well, apparently not enough of them!
Josh Davis: So that's what this is all about? It's some sort of exercise in civil disobedience?

User Reviews

Entertaining and Accurate

I really liked this film. The reviews I saw mentioned that it had no ending, no resolution, which is true, but neither does the problem with homelessness in our society. I think it accurately reflects an urban library setting. I'd pay to see it again.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Instagram

Country:

USA

Language:

English Sign Languages

Release Date:

25 July 2019 (Germany)

Also Known As:

The Public

Filming Locations:

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$259,455, 7 April 2019

Gross USA:

$573,503

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$644,740

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammerstone Studios, e2 Films, Cedarvale Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1