If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
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A young woman seeks to clear the name of her wrongly charged lover before the birth of their child.
The story
In the 1970s, Clementine "Tish" Rivers and Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt, lifelong friends who become romantically involved, struggle to find an apartment in New York City due to racial discrimination. They eventually find a place in a warehouse being converted to loft apartments. However, their lives are upended when Fonny is arrested for the rape of a woman named Victoria Rogers. Despite the logistical improbability of the crime, the case against him is considered strong due to a policeman's testimony. Tish, who is pregnant with Fonny's child, seeks to prove his innocence while navigating the support of her family and the complexities of their situation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Clementine "Tish" Rivers and Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt are lifelong friends who become romantically involved in 1970s New York City. They find housing in a warehouse loft owned by a Jewish landlord who enjoys seeing couples in love. Tish is assaulted in a grocery store, and Fonny defends her, leading to a brief interaction with a racist policeman. Later, Fonny is arrested for the rape of Victoria Rogers. Because of the policeman's testimony and Victoria's identification, the case against Fonny is strong, despite the fact that his friend Daniel Carty was with him at the time. Tish reveals her pregnancy to her family, who are supportive, while Fonny's mother, Alice, condemns the child as being conceived out of wedlock. Tish's mother, Sharon, travels to Puerto Rico to plead with Victoria to change her testimony, but Victoria refuses and reacts with screams when touched. Tish eventually gives birth to their son, Alonzo Jr., while Fonny accepts a plea deal. The film ends with Tish and their child visiting Fonny in prison, where they share snacks while looking forward to his release.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 117
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Barry Jenkins
- Writers
- Barry Jenkins · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- KiKi Layne · Tish; Stephan James · Fonny; Colman Domingo; Teyonah Parris; Michael Beach; Dave Franco; Diego Luna; Pedro Pascal; Ed Skrein; Brian Tyree Henry; Regina King
- Genres
- romantic drama
- Themes
- racism; pregnancy; justice; family support
- Tone and mood
- expressionistic; electric; alive
- Setting
- 1970s New York City and Puerto Rico
- Premise and plot tags
- false allegations; racism; historical romance; non-linear narrative
- Source material / true-story basis
- James Baldwin's 1974 novel If Beale Street Could Talk
- Content notes
- sex crimes; racism
- Reception
- The film was praised for its acting, Jenkins's screenplay and direction, cinematography, and the musical score. It was chosen by both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute as one of the Top 10 Films of 2018.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 87 · scale: 100 · review count: 53; PostTrak · score: 82%
- Awards and nominations
- Best Supporting Actress · Academy Awards · win; Best Supporting Actress · Golden Globes · win; Best Motion Picture – Drama · 76th Golden Globe Awards · nomination; Best Screenplay · 76th Golden Globe Awards · nomination; Best Adapted Screenplay · 91st Academy Awards · nomination; Best Original Score · 91st Academy Awards · nomination
- Production trivia
- Lin-Manuel Miranda was almost cast in the film.; The film was scheduled for a November 30, 2018 release but was moved to December 14, 2018.; Former U.S. President Barack Obama listed the film among his favorite movies of 2018.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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