Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) in 'Fruitvale Station' While Hollywood delivers in summer 2013 a succession of high profile, money losing casualties at the box office, a little independent film, with no huge marquee names attached, has quietly been released in a few select US cities (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles with more to follow) and gotten major attention and sold out performances, not only for its quality, but its subject matter, which in the light of the recent Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman trial is very apt. 'Fruitvale Station' is the debut feature from Ryan Coogler and tells the true story of 22 year old Oscar Grant, who while out celebrating New Year's Eve with friends in San Francisco, was fatally shot dead by a police officer in the early hours of New Year's Day 2009 at a train station called 'Fruitvale' in Oakland, California.
The whole unfortunate incident was caught by several train passengers on their mobile phones, showing the unarmed Grant being shot in the back. After a massive outcry from the general public, the officer in question was eventually charged with involuntary manslaughter and served just 11 months of a two year. 'Fruitvale Station' centres on the very last day of Oscar Grant's life, showing his relationships with his mother, his girlfriend and his child. The film shows that although he was no angel, he was committed to turning his life around for the good. Newcomer Michael B. Jordan plays Oscar, the fabulous Oscar winning Octavia Spencer plays his mother, Wanda and Melonie Diaz plays his girlfriend, Sophina. One of the film's producers is (another Oscar winner) Forest Whitaker.
Coogler filmed in and around the Oakland area and even shot footage at the actual location of 'Fruitvale' station. I have yet to see 'Fruitvale Station' myself, but on the strength of the powerfully moving trailer and the word of mouth that has reached my ears (including posibilities of Oscar noiminations), my guy feeling is this is a film to definitely catch. Hopefully it will reach UK shores in the not too distant future.
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The whole unfortunate incident was caught by several train passengers on their mobile phones, showing the unarmed Grant being shot in the back. After a massive outcry from the general public, the officer in question was eventually charged with involuntary manslaughter and served just 11 months of a two year. 'Fruitvale Station' centres on the very last day of Oscar Grant's life, showing his relationships with his mother, his girlfriend and his child. The film shows that although he was no angel, he was committed to turning his life around for the good. Newcomer Michael B. Jordan plays Oscar, the fabulous Oscar winning Octavia Spencer plays his mother, Wanda and Melonie Diaz plays his girlfriend, Sophina. One of the film's producers is (another Oscar winner) Forest Whitaker.
Coogler filmed in and around the Oakland area and even shot footage at the actual location of 'Fruitvale' station. I have yet to see 'Fruitvale Station' myself, but on the strength of the powerfully moving trailer and the word of mouth that has reached my ears (including posibilities of Oscar noiminations), my guy feeling is this is a film to definitely catch. Hopefully it will reach UK shores in the not too distant future.
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