If Beale Street Could Talk
Directed by: Barry Jenkins
2018 | USA | 119 minutes
Screening | Friday, April 5, 2019, 7pm |
Matinee | Saturday, April 6, 2019, 3pm |
Screening | Saturday, April 6, 2019, 7pm |
Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple’s unbreakable bond and the African-American family’s empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish Rivers (screen newcomer KiKi Layne). A daughter and wife-to-be, Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny (Stephan James). Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit.
"This movie works as a timeless romance, a family drama, a legal thriller and a poignant social commentary. A great American novel has been turned into a great American film." - Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
"A period piece that feels beautifully and painfully present: beautifully because love stories are timeless, painfully because the spectacle of racial injustice feels up to date." - Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
Academy Awards 2019, Winner, Best Supporting Actress for Regina King
Academy Awards 2019, Nominee, Best Adapted Screenplay
