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Fruitvale Station – Movie Review

An emotionally powerful and moving film, Fruitvale Station had me crying like a baby.

Directed by Ryan Coogler and released in 2013, this film follows the true story of 22-year-old black man Oscar Grant, played by Michael B. Jordan.

The viewer is taken on a journey with Oscar, seeing him live his normal everyday life on the last day of 2008. Getting a head start on his New Year’s resolutions with his girlfriend Sophina (Melonie Diaz), he is trying to get his life back together after being in prison for running drugs in 2007. He tries to save a stray dog, he calls his mother to wish her a happy birthday, he assists a stranger in a store and he promises his young daughter Tatiana (Ariana Neal) a New Year’s she won’t forget.

Flashbacks allow the viewer to see him in jail for a short period of time, having a heated argument with a Caucasian inmate.

Initially, the film seems to drag on because you’re just watching a normal man live a normal day. However, this is crucial to the viewer, as you become more emotionally attached to his character.

After enjoying a fun family dinner to celebrate his mother’s birthday, Oscar and Sophina drop Tatiana at her auntie’s house, allowing them go out to the centre of San Francisco to watch the New Year’s fireworks with a group of friends.

On his way home, Oscar is swept into an altercation after being spotted by his enemy.

Police hold Oscar and some of his friends on the Fruitvale Station platform and unexpectedly, an officer shoots Oscar in the back.

Oscar Julius Grant III died in hospital at approximately 9:15am January 1st, 2009.

His tragic death caused riots and protests, which still occur every New Year’s Day outside Fruitvale Station.

Director Ryan Coogler worked closely with public records, Grants’ family members and news stories in order to piece the film events together and make the movie as accurate as possible.

At the end of the movie, it states that several witnesses on the train recorded the incident on their cell phones and that the officer who shot Oscar Grant was arrested and charged with first degree murder. He was sentenced to two years in state penitentiary and released after 11 months.

This film did a fantastic job of connecting the audience with the characters. We hear stories of death often, but we don’t always have an emotional connection. This film allows you to see a snippet of someone’s life, and then their life be taken away for no reason.

I highly recommend this film.

I rate Fruitvale Station 4.5 out of 5

Written by Alison Hattley

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