Skip to main content

If Beale Street Could Talk -Olivia Backes

If Beale Street Could Talk, based on the novel by James Baldwin, is a romance/crime drama that follows a love story between Tish and Fonny as they become expecting parents while Fonny is wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Audiences watch as their relationship and romance blossom as well as the dynamics of the different relationships and families of Tish and Fonny during this time of racial injustice and ways in which the judicial process failed Black communities on the basis of their rights and freedoms. This is a story about hope, dreams, and resilience.


Fonny expresses joy on the street after he and Tish find somewhere to finally call home in Harlem

Tish stands in front of Fonny as a shield between him and the police officer who is harassing Fonny for defending Tish after she was attacked in a store by a white man

This film is significant because it tells a love story about the hopes and dreams of a young couple and their families who refuse to let their lives be destroyed and diminished because of political and social tension and violence. With racism and an unjust judicial system plaguing characters Tish and Fonny, and the Black community as a whole, finding hope is exhausting and at times, feels impossible. However, through the strength of family, love, and community, If Beale Street Could Talk gives an inspiring and emotional story for anyone to hold onto. Fighting injustice, discrimination, and the law doesn't stop the characters from loving each other and nurturing their dreams, regardless of how strenuous they may be. Black love, resilience, and the power of unity are indispensable themes of the film that can reach audiences. 

Discussion questions:
  • If Beale Street Could Talk was published in 1974. Does the film seem outdated in any way or does it still feel accurate for today?
  • Beale Street is a famous and renowned street in Memphis, Tennessee. It is known for its pioneering Blues music as well as a thriving commerce for Black business owners. When thinking about the setting, culture, and present themes in the film, how could this title be demonstrated throughout the film? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Everything, Everything - Ellie Marmoll

       The film Everything, Everything , based on the novel by Nicola Yoon , follows the life of newly eighteen-year-old Madeline living with a rare autoimmune dis ease that prevents her from leaving the protection of her sealed home in which she is iso lated from the outside world. Maddy is extremely imaginative, especially when Olly moves in next door and her curiosity for life outside of her home grows, causing her to push the boundaries that formerly kept her safe. With the bond that they had formed with their limited contact, the pair fall deeper in love, and over time Olly helps Maddy realize what she has been doing is not really living.   Trailer     The particular scene in this screenshot is the main turning point of the movie where things drastically begin to change. In this scene, Maddy takes a dramatic leap and decides to leave her house to go to Hawaii with Olly. She packed a bag an d purchased the tickets and accommodations,...
1 comment
Read more

David Priester - Dead Presidents

  Dead Presidents is a 1995 American crime film based on the true story of Haywood T. Kirkland, about a Vietnam War veteran who is forced to commit a heist after he’s no longer able to support his girlfriend or daughter. The film spans the better part of a decade, starting at the end of the main character’s (Anthony) high school life before covering his service overseas and then his tumultuous return home. The film is most well known for the heist scene that serves as the climax. Trailer Selected Screenshots After an argument with Juanita, his girlfriend, Anthony’s doubt in himself continues to grow. Anthony, disguised with face paint, waits to ambush the armored truck’s guards Cultural Significance      The film portrays the struggles of veterans who lacked government support after coming back from the war. It also shows the supposed loss of innocence after Vietnam, directly comparing the post-war period after World War 2 to the far more jaded post-war period of t...
Post a Comment
Read more