The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)

A young man searches for home in the changing city that seems to have left him behind.

Director:

Joe Talbot

Writers:

Jimmie Fails (story), Joe Talbot (story)

Stars:

Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan

14 wins & 48 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jimmie Fails	...	Jimmie Fails
Jonathan Majors	...	Montgomery Allen
Rob Morgan	...	James Sr.
Tichina Arnold	...	Wanda Fails
Mike Epps	...	Bobby
Finn Wittrock	...	Clayton
Danny Glover	...	Grandpa Allen
Willie Hen	...	Preacher
Jamal Trulove	...	Kofi
Antoine Redus	...	Nitty (as Antoine 'Milk' Redus)
Isiain Lalime	...	Gunna (as Isiain 'Gunna' X)
Jordan Gomes	...	Jordan
Maximilienne Ewalt	...	Mary (as Maxamilliene Ewalt)
Michael O'Brien	...	Terry
Daewon Song	...	Ricky

Storyline

Jimmie Fails IV, a black man, is a third generation San Franciscan. Having been pushed out by circumstances like many others, Jimmie, who works a low paying job as a nurse in a seniors' care facility, returned to San Francisco three years ago and has been living in his best friend Montgomery Allen's house that he shares with his blind grandfather, Jimmie who sleeps on the floor in Mont's already cramped bedroom. Despite the house, Mont's situation is not much better than Jimmie's, Mont who works at a supermarket fish counter while he sketches and writes a play on the side. Other black people around him who are showing their anger in also being disenfranchised from San Francisco life are the soapbox preacher who Jimmie and Mont often watch as they wait for the bus, and a group of young black men who hang outside of Mont's house. All of Jimmie's family, who he rarely sees, are also disenfranchised from that San Francisco life in one way or another: his estranged father lives in an SRO; ...

---

Plot Keywords:

friendship | african american | skateboarding | squatter | gentrification | 

---

Taglines:

Fight for your land. Fight for your home.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, brief nudity and drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Mont is describing the old movie for his Grandpa, the film they are watching is D.O.A. (1949), a 1949 thriller set in San Francisco.

---

Goofs

Near the end when Jimmie visits Mont on the boat dock, the tide is clearly out. Seconds later when they hug there is water all around the dock.

---

Quotes

Montgomery Allen: Let us give each other the courage to see beyond the stories we were born into!

---

Connections

Referenced in Twenties: Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing (2020)

---

Soundtracks

Blue
Written and Performed by Joni Mitchell
Published by Joni Mitchell
Appears courtesy of Warner Bros Records Inc.
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Brilliant

This movie began as a joke between friends...then those friends: Director Joe Talbot and lead actor Jimmie Fails worked on this project unofficially for 10 years. Each scene is thoroughly orchestrated, nothing is rushed in this film. Nuanced themes are pervasive throughout this visually beautiful movie. I do not believe a movie based in Hollywood could acheive the things this movie has. It is a masterful portait of delusions, the transitory nature of ownership, gentrification, friendship, growth, masculinity, the growing pains of the life, the City as a whole and much more. I give it 10 stars for the fact that I do not believe there was any room for improvement. A new classic.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 June 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$235,272, 9 June 2019

Gross USA:

$4,515,719

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,607,017

Company Credits

Production Co:

A24, Longshot Features, Plan B Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1