If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

A young woman embraces her pregnancy while she and her family set out to prove her childhood friend and lover innocent of a crime he didn't commit.

Director:

Barry Jenkins

Writers:

Barry Jenkins (written for the screen by), James Baldwin (based on the book by)

Stars:

KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King

Won 1 Oscar. Another 106 wins & 180 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
KiKi Layne	...	Tish Rivers
Stephan James	...	Alonzo 'Fonny' Hunt
Regina King	...	Sharon Rivers
Teyonah Parris	...	Ernestine Rivers
Colman Domingo	...	Joseph Rivers
Ethan Barrett	...	Young Fonny
Milanni Mines	...	Young Tish
Ebony Obsidian	...	Adrienne Hunt
Dominique Thorne	...	Sheila Hunt
Michael Beach	...	Frank Hunt
Aunjanue Ellis	...	Mrs. Hunt
Diego Luna	...	Pedrocito
Emily Rios	...	Victoria Rogers
Ed Skrein	...	Officer Bell
Finn Wittrock	...	Hayward

Storyline

African-American teen sweethearts Fonny and Tish are ripped apart when Fonny is wrongly arrested for the rape of a Puerto Rican woman because of the machinations of a racist cop. While seeking justice for Fonny, a pregnant Tish relies on her Harlem community, including her sister, mother Sharon and future mother-in-law.

---

Plot Keywords:

prison | 1970s | love | based on novel | new york city | 

---

Taglines:

Trust Love All the Way

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title is a reference to the 1916 W.C. Handy blues song "Beale Street Blues", named after Beale Street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The song is on Louis Armstrong album Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. from 1954.

---

Goofs

When Tish is waiting on a subway platform where the 1960s-style enamel column plates say that the station is 135th St (probably on the 8th Ave line rather than on the Lenox Ave line). However, the mosaic on the wall above the tracks features a capital 'B' -- suggesting that filming may have taken place in the now-closed-off part of the Bowery station on the Nassau St line.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Tish Rivers: You ready for this?
Fonny: I've never been more ready for anything in my whole life.

---

Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: The Legend of Big Chungus (2019)

---

Soundtracks

Hole in the Wall
Written by Al Jackson Jr., Steve Cropper, and Booker T. Jones
Performed by The Packers
Courtesy of Pure Soul Records

User Reviews

Cut

I want to love this film and everything about it except, just about every scene is three times longer than it needs to be.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

25 December 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

If Beale Street Could Talk

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$224,476, 16 December 2018

Gross USA:

$14,915,773

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,596,567

Company Credits

Production Co:

Annapurna Pictures, Plan B Entertainment, PASTEL

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1