Thoughts on Fruitvale Station

After a month delay and several months of being intrigued by the premise of the film, I finally saw "Fruitvale Station" last week. It left me feeling a number of emotions upon exiting the theater.

"Fruitvale Station" is the story of Oscar Grant and the 24 hours leading up to his death at the Fruitvale subway stop in Oakland, California, on New Year's Day 2009. But it's really so much more than that. It's a story that truly does explore the human condition through Oscar's eyes and makes the viewer see a troubled man who was trying to turn his life around.

What makes "Fruitvale Station" different than most movies is that you have some idea going in how the story will end. Anyone who has heard about the film or done any research on the case, knows ultimately that Oscar Grant will be killed. Similar much in the same way as a movie like "Titanic," where (spoiler alert) the ship sinks, with a film like "Fruitvale Station" character development becomes all the more crucial when the audience knows the final result.

Michael B. Jordan gives an excellent performance as Oscar Grant. Through him, we see more of a 360 degree portrayal of Grant. By that I mean director Ryan Coogler is careful not to paint Grant as some figure headed for sainthood before death. Too often in dramas about people's lives, we see heavy handed attempts to portray the protagonist in the most positive light possible with little to no faults. In essence the main character becomes reduced to little more than a cardboard cutout of virtue, instead of a fleshed out human being with emotional, physical, mental, or spiritual obstacles to conquer. This is exactly the criticism I leveled at the film "42"; I was glad to see "Fruitvale Station" didn't follow that same script.

Over the course of the film we see Oscar not take his prospects of getting a job seriously. We see a man at times quick to anger, but even quicker to flash his smile at someone. We see a person learning to accept the responsibility of fatherhood while trying to become a more supportive partner to his girlfriend. We also witness the interactions he has with his mother (great job by Octavia Spencer) and the initial guilt she feels immediately after his death.

"Fruitvale Station" on its surface is a movie about a shooting, but really it's a movie about the relationships between Oscar Grant and those around him. Through his friends and family we see him as a person bending in the direction of slowly, but steadily, improving his life. I would strongly recommend anyone who hasn't yet seen it, to make an effort to watch it while it's still in theaters. It may leave you teary eyed at points, but chances are, you'll be better for the experience.