This year we found out how great Gatsby could be (Great Gatsby), followed Katniss as she outsmarted the Quarter Quell (Catching Fire) and floated into outer space (Gravity). But no movie made more of a statement and left a greater impact than Fruitvale Station. Out of all the movies released this year, I remember this one the most.
The story of Oscar Grant, a 23-year-old black male who was shot by a white Bay Area Rapid Transit (B.A.R.T.) police officer in Oakland, Calif., became personal. He was no longer just a tragic murder of another black body slain and featured on the six o’clock news. There was a story to the face. Ryan Coogler’s first feature film followed Grant, played by Friday Night Lights’ actor Michael B. Jordan, through the day leading up to his death. The movie showed Grant’s love for his girlfriend and family, especially his close bond with his young daughter. It showed him doing normal things: going to the grocery store, picking up his daughter from daycare, eating dinner with family, and hanging out with his friends. Although we also get a glimpse of his dark past, we get the feeling that he is trying to turn his life around.
The crucial timing of this movie transpired perfectly. Released in July amidst angst over the fairness of the George Zimmerman trial involving the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, this movie reminded us of the human side of the real victim. Death silences the victims from telling their side of the story. Fruitvale Station tells us that story.
Grant was killed four years ago tomorrow, New Year’s Day 2009. His case received national attention when passengers aboard the train filmed the exchange. The officer was later put on on trial and only served two years in prison.
The other actors in this movie Octavia Spencer, who plays Grant’s mom, and Melonie Diaz, acting as Grant’s girlfriend accurately portray Grant’s life and offer more depth to his character.
“I think that through film, you can get people to sit down and think about the way other people are treated, the way they are judged, being different,” said Jordan in an interview with The New York Times. “You may not have the ability to come in contact with or hang out with somebody that looks like me. But if I can show the humanity and the relatability, through characters like Oscar Grant, you can bridge the gap.”
