Fruitvale Station Review

Dir. Ryan Coogler
Starring: Michael B. Jordan (Oscar Grant), Melonie Diaz (Sophina), Octavia Spencer (Wanda)
Prod: OG Project, Forest Whitaker's Significant Productions
Distributor: The Weinstein Company, 2009

Here’s one of the most morbid thoughts you can ever put in your head: will I die today? This thought isn’t to spur you to live each day like it’s your last. It’s a simple observation. Where has life led you to this point, where would you like your life to go, and how does one affect the other? In his debut feature Fruitvale Station, writer-director Ryan Coogler goes into the last day in the life of Oscar Grant, who was infamously shot by BART police officers in Oakland, California on New Year’s Day, 2009. Coogler’s solemn, no-frills direction lets us walk into Oscar’s life, and become absolutely devastated as it heads to its inevitable conclusion.

The film only runs 85 minutes, and while other times in his life are covered, most of the film centers on this one particular day. Things haven’t necessarily gone to plan for Oscar and it’s quite apparent that he’s been down the wrong path more than once before. On the eve of a new year, he aims to get his old job back, do right by his mother, Wanda, whose birthday coincidentally falls of New Years Day, and lastly, to take care of his girlfriend and daughter. Oscar’s heart seems in the right place but he’s struggling to pick an avenue, almost as if he’s waiting for life to happen to him instead of taking initiative. The moments he shares with 4-year-old daughter, Tatiana are precious. They give us insight into how he carries himself as a father, even if he’s not able to provide financially. This is a realistic scenario in my opinion. Oscar shows effort on more than one occasion. The racial dynamic is evident in the film, however, it isn't in your face about it like it could've been in the hands of someone like Spike Lee, as we saw in Do the Right Thing.

While Oscar's fate is infuriating, the film leaves viewers feeling helpless and saddened by the story's outcome. Oscar isn't upright, but he recognizes his faults, even as he struggles to overcome them. While he doesn't look to God for help, his mother certainly does, and her intercession on Oscar’s behalf is the strongest element in this potent, memorable film. Fruitvale Station’s wrenching power lies in the specificity of its storytelling. It will leave you not only shaking your head over an all too common social justice problem, but also grieving the senseless death of one flawed, yet innocent young man.