Director Emilio Estevez did a superb job of balancing many societal issues, homelessness, societal loneliness, the importance of libraries, all while interjecting humor & surprises. It captures reality and gives you different perspectives of homelessness. Great film.
79 Reviews
Here's that rainbow I've been praying for.
gina_gemini4 July 2019
Just when you are fed up with the stupidity of most movies these days, and fear that craps like marvel will devour the whole cinema , that is when a bright ray of sunshine gives you hope in the form of "The Public".
And who better to do this than talented Mr Esevez? Just when you are longing for masterpieces like Breakfast Club, he travels from that school library and lands in another library to tell us this moving story.
It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. It makes you happy and it makes you sad. But most importantly it gives you hope. Thank you Mr Estevez for this beautiful 'sunshiny' day.
And who better to do this than talented Mr Esevez? Just when you are longing for masterpieces like Breakfast Club, he travels from that school library and lands in another library to tell us this moving story.
It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. It makes you happy and it makes you sad. But most importantly it gives you hope. Thank you Mr Estevez for this beautiful 'sunshiny' day.
Well intended and humbling tale... A pleasant watch
joebloggscity28 September 2020
This is a surprisingly delightful film. Surprised by the marks it's received on this site, as seems a generally negative opinion from the mainstream critics and lukewarm from the rest. Fair enough, but really it's a basic humbling tale.
Old star favourite Emilio Estevez is still looking great, and is incredibly the director, writer & main star of this movie. He is a librarian who finds himself helping a standoff in a library for the homeless against the establishment. There is a fine stellar cast to support Estevez including Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Slater and MK Williams, and they all play their roles well.
This is a tale that thankfully avoids the worst possible cliches & schmaltz that could have occurred in the writing. It walks a fine line. The good side is the humanity it shows across the character. Excluding Christian Slater's desperate politico, all the other characters are written with some empathy. MK Williams stars as like a man whom his former foes in The Wire would have been targeting. 'Rhymefest' steals the show as one of the homeless in a wonderful portrayal which is touching.
In truth there is nothing taxing here for any of the actors, but it's wonderful for all the actors, and the on-screen camaraderie makes it a joy to watch.
It's a well made movie which I'm certain all will enjoy. Fine humour and direction, and deserves more credit than it's got so far from what I can see. It's no big budget movie, but does what it wants to say & do perfectly.
If you want a pick me up, then grab a coffee and please give this one a viewing. A very pleasant watch.
Old star favourite Emilio Estevez is still looking great, and is incredibly the director, writer & main star of this movie. He is a librarian who finds himself helping a standoff in a library for the homeless against the establishment. There is a fine stellar cast to support Estevez including Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Slater and MK Williams, and they all play their roles well.
This is a tale that thankfully avoids the worst possible cliches & schmaltz that could have occurred in the writing. It walks a fine line. The good side is the humanity it shows across the character. Excluding Christian Slater's desperate politico, all the other characters are written with some empathy. MK Williams stars as like a man whom his former foes in The Wire would have been targeting. 'Rhymefest' steals the show as one of the homeless in a wonderful portrayal which is touching.
In truth there is nothing taxing here for any of the actors, but it's wonderful for all the actors, and the on-screen camaraderie makes it a joy to watch.
It's a well made movie which I'm certain all will enjoy. Fine humour and direction, and deserves more credit than it's got so far from what I can see. It's no big budget movie, but does what it wants to say & do perfectly.
If you want a pick me up, then grab a coffee and please give this one a viewing. A very pleasant watch.
A must watch film.
darwegener1 March 2019
This amazing movie shows you the tip of the iceberg of the heart of libraries and why they are the most important organizations in our communities. After laughing, crying, and cheering, i jumped up for a standing ovation on this portrayal of the profession I've dedicated my life to for over thirty years. Thank you Emilio Estevez, the cast, and crew for this film.
Deep film
elliotjeory23 September 2020
The Homeless of Cincinnati Exercise Their Human Right not to Die...
Xstal7 July 2020
... when the night temperature plummets and they take shelter in the public library supported by some of the staff, much to the annoyance of a local politician - outstanding performances all round in a film you'll want to revisit again and again.
The good, the bad and...
Molongirl10 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I went in wanting to really enjoy this movie and there was a lot to love. I've been a librarian for years and the crazy questions you get asked, the variety of people you deal with, the wonderful love of books, the library as a sanctuary were all well done.
However, unsatisfactory holes in the plot and other glitches made it uneven viewing.
The most annoying one was when the news broadcaster was asking the librarian why? and instead of just telling her what was going on he obscurely quotes from Steinbeck. What the heck? The lack of really talking to the police, the lack of negotiating by the negotiator, the absurdity of heavily armed police being sent for, the absurdly evil DA, just spoilt the overall story.
But the ending was a good laugh and the movie did highlight the desperate plight of the homeless and mentally ill.
A Fine Study In Despair
boblipton25 September 2021
It's the middle of the winter in Cincinnati, and there's a killing freeze. At the main public library, the homeless are looking for a litle warmth, as well as a way to fill their days. One of the senior librarians, Emilio Estevez, doesn't them them out into the deadly cold. Instead, he lets them stay overnight, and stays with them, as aspiring politician Christian Slater tries to get the police to turn it into a law-and-order coup for him, and police negotiator Alec Baldwin tries to understand what is going on.
It's Estevez' sixth movie as director, and his first film appearance in eight years, and it's simultaneously hopeful, depressing and inspiring, with Steinbeck's THE GRAPES OF WRATH frequently referenced. It's also a fine piece of film making, with something to say about many of the subjects that concern people who still like to think with head and feel with their hearts: the purpose and survival of libraries, the mental health crisis, the inability and unwillingness of society to deal with its issues. Estevez's performance is low-key, and affecting, letting the situation and his despair leak into the audience. Other fine performances include Gabrielle Union as a TV news reporter looking for an easily understood narrative, Geoffrey Wright as Estevez' sympathetic and beleaguered boss, and Rhymefest as one of the mentally ill homeless.
It's Estevez' sixth movie as director, and his first film appearance in eight years, and it's simultaneously hopeful, depressing and inspiring, with Steinbeck's THE GRAPES OF WRATH frequently referenced. It's also a fine piece of film making, with something to say about many of the subjects that concern people who still like to think with head and feel with their hearts: the purpose and survival of libraries, the mental health crisis, the inability and unwillingness of society to deal with its issues. Estevez's performance is low-key, and affecting, letting the situation and his despair leak into the audience. Other fine performances include Gabrielle Union as a TV news reporter looking for an easily understood narrative, Geoffrey Wright as Estevez' sympathetic and beleaguered boss, and Rhymefest as one of the mentally ill homeless.
Well-intended homeless drama falls short as a captivating and engrossing movie
paul-allaer11 April 2019
"The Public" (2018 release; 122 min.) brings the story of Stuart and a group of homeless people. As the movie opens, after an old B&W TV ad for recruiting librarians, we get some gorgeous shots of downtown Cincinnati, and then quickly shift to Stuart, who is about to start his shift at the Main Library as one of the main librarians. It is bitterly cold, and a homeless group can't wait for the library to open so they can get so much needed warmth and shelter. Meanwhile, Stuart is called in by his boss: it turns out the library has been sued by someone claiming discrimination (he was forced to leave the library because of many complaints about his body odor). The Hamilton County Prosecutor, who is about to run for Mayor, sees this as a major problem. Back in the library, the homeless grow restless and fearful of spending another night out in the open, as there is no let-up on the cold spell... At this point we are 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the latest labor of love from director/producer/writer/actor Emilio Estevez (who plays the Stuart role). Here he find a social and political sensitive topic: what to do with the many homeless in this country's big cities. Estevez has assembles an all-star ensemble cast: Alec Baldwin is a Cincinnati Police Department detective and crisis negotiator; Christian Slater is the Prosecutor with ambitions for higher office; Micheal K. Williams is the 'front person' of the homeless who want to "Occupy" the Main Library; Taylor Schilling is the building manager Stuart's apartment building (and love interest). The cast is an impressive list. And for the first hour or so, the movie clips along nicely. Alas in the second hour, the movie gets bogged down in the negotiations between CPD and the homeless, and Estevez moves about with the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. A darn shame. Not to mention that the movie is far too long, and could easily have been trimmed by 15-20 min. (if not more) without losing any of its essence and message. Kudos to the photography, which is excellent. And if you are amazed how big the Main Library building seems to be, you are right! It is a maze, and the film conveys that nicely. Did you know that the Cincinnati/Hamilton County library system is by circulation the second largest in the entire country (only New York City's is busier, with of course a much larger population).
"The Public" premiered last Fall at the Toronto International Film Festival, and opened in a limited release last weekend. Because the movie was filmed entirely here in Cincinnati (where I live), in early 2017, it received a nice boost from the art-house theater where it is showing, with a release on the largest screen it has. The Thursday early evening screening where I saw this at was, not surprisingly for a Thursday, not well attended (7 people, including myself). I really, really wanted to like this movie more, and I certainly do not mind having seen it. But the weak script, in particular the movie's second half, leave me no choice but to give it a mixed rating. Of course I encourage you to check it out, be it at the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this is the latest labor of love from director/producer/writer/actor Emilio Estevez (who plays the Stuart role). Here he find a social and political sensitive topic: what to do with the many homeless in this country's big cities. Estevez has assembles an all-star ensemble cast: Alec Baldwin is a Cincinnati Police Department detective and crisis negotiator; Christian Slater is the Prosecutor with ambitions for higher office; Micheal K. Williams is the 'front person' of the homeless who want to "Occupy" the Main Library; Taylor Schilling is the building manager Stuart's apartment building (and love interest). The cast is an impressive list. And for the first hour or so, the movie clips along nicely. Alas in the second hour, the movie gets bogged down in the negotiations between CPD and the homeless, and Estevez moves about with the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. A darn shame. Not to mention that the movie is far too long, and could easily have been trimmed by 15-20 min. (if not more) without losing any of its essence and message. Kudos to the photography, which is excellent. And if you are amazed how big the Main Library building seems to be, you are right! It is a maze, and the film conveys that nicely. Did you know that the Cincinnati/Hamilton County library system is by circulation the second largest in the entire country (only New York City's is busier, with of course a much larger population).
"The Public" premiered last Fall at the Toronto International Film Festival, and opened in a limited release last weekend. Because the movie was filmed entirely here in Cincinnati (where I live), in early 2017, it received a nice boost from the art-house theater where it is showing, with a release on the largest screen it has. The Thursday early evening screening where I saw this at was, not surprisingly for a Thursday, not well attended (7 people, including myself). I really, really wanted to like this movie more, and I certainly do not mind having seen it. But the weak script, in particular the movie's second half, leave me no choice but to give it a mixed rating. Of course I encourage you to check it out, be it at the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Standoff at the Cincinnati Library
lavatch9 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The time is the present. The place is Cincinnati. The city is in the middle of a frigid winter of record-setting low temperatures. A group of sixty homeless men are so desperate for shelter that they decide to hold a demonstration and stay overnight on the third floor of the downtown Cincinnati Public Library. This film is their story.
"The Public" had good intentions in depicting the realities of the homeless in America. Many of the men were recovering vets. Several were struggling with mental disease. Others were simply broke. An opioid victim was the son of the police detective in charge of ending the standoff in the library. The villain of the film is a mean-spirited and self-service district attorney running for mayor, who has no sympathy for the homeless.
As the film progressed, it struggled to make credible why there would be a police brigade preparing to rush the library and arrest the homeless men. The detective in charge of the operation (Alec Baldwin) was an especially unconvincing character because he was supposed to be a negotiator, but he did no bargaining with the men inside. A cliché newscaster intentionally distorts the situation for the public in order to raise her network's ratings.
The most moving part of the film was when the protagonist, an unassuming library supervisor, reads aloud to the news reporter a passage from John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath," connecting the misery of the Great Depression of the 1930s to the homeless condition afflicting thousands in the twenty-first century.
It was said in the film that a library is "the last bastion of a true democracy." Those noble words are meaningful. But the film was unsuccessful in delivering a pragmatic message about how to effectively solve a social ill that is not being addressed in large American cities today.
"The Public" had good intentions in depicting the realities of the homeless in America. Many of the men were recovering vets. Several were struggling with mental disease. Others were simply broke. An opioid victim was the son of the police detective in charge of ending the standoff in the library. The villain of the film is a mean-spirited and self-service district attorney running for mayor, who has no sympathy for the homeless.
As the film progressed, it struggled to make credible why there would be a police brigade preparing to rush the library and arrest the homeless men. The detective in charge of the operation (Alec Baldwin) was an especially unconvincing character because he was supposed to be a negotiator, but he did no bargaining with the men inside. A cliché newscaster intentionally distorts the situation for the public in order to raise her network's ratings.
The most moving part of the film was when the protagonist, an unassuming library supervisor, reads aloud to the news reporter a passage from John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath," connecting the misery of the Great Depression of the 1930s to the homeless condition afflicting thousands in the twenty-first century.
It was said in the film that a library is "the last bastion of a true democracy." Those noble words are meaningful. But the film was unsuccessful in delivering a pragmatic message about how to effectively solve a social ill that is not being addressed in large American cities today.
A situation drama
faer_kr25 June 2020
The triumphant return of Emilio Estévez to the screen.
A situation drama.
It's about some homeless people who, because of the cold in the city, make the decision to protect a night in the public bookstore and the way they want to make them come out as if they had criminals.
He talks about the manipulation of the media, the political environment and charity, all addressed in an interesting way.
A successful management.
Quality
Deep without falling into pedantry.
The spectacular performances.
With emotional and funny moments.
You are hooked by the situations shown on the screen.
Closer to reality than you my think
rodandjoy11 December 2020
Very enjoyable. Great to see Emilio again and a wonderful performance in the leading roll. A clever reflection of life from attitudes to the homeless to how situations can be manipulated by the press. Nice blend of drama and humour. Would definitely recommend.
Hopes dashed
kbenko3 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I have worked in libraries for 22 years. They are my happy place, and I really hoped that this would be a movie I could recommend to people. Based on the trailer, I expected to enjoy it a lot myself. Neither turned out to be true.
What bugged me the most was the nearly complete non-use of the internet by the folks barricaded in the library, and by the media. The librarian made a video to show what was going on, great. But did he post it to YouTube? Facebook? Instagram? Did he tweet it or email it to local news media? No, he emailed it to his friend, who handed her phone to a local newscaster, who barely watched it.
Also, the way the librarian allowed himself to be cast as the leader of this thing that was *not* his idea. It makes sense within the story, given how tightly the negotiator and the prosecutor were controlling the narrative (but why did they have that control? Why wasn't the librarian communicating with the outside world?), but he didn't make much effort to push back. OK, the actual instigator didn't want to talk to the police. Fair enough, and plausible. They were there from 6pm until 2am. Where's the manifesto a small group could have written in the first three hours, and (ahem) posted online? Where are the hashtags they could have all invented? It's like this took place in 1992. The internet is used only to get a cheap laugh about a homeless man using a dating site.
In a movie that centers a notoriously pink-collar profession, only one library staff member with a significant role is a woman. F that.
Why the heck did Christian Slater take off his coat and jacket before lying on the street? Also, why was everyone dressed like it was 35 degrees when it was supposedly more like 10? Some Californian's idea of what "bundled up" looks like. Phhhht.
Finally, are we really supposed to believe that riot police who were otherwise all ready to rush in, guns blazing, were stopped by the sight of a bunch of naked men? That ridiculous ending might as well have said straight out, "If you don't resist, you're safe!" when recent events show us that that is not true.
Emilio Estevez was not convincing. The dialogue was cliched and random. Jena Malone's character was disappointing.
The only reason I hope my library friends see this movie is so that we can complain about it together.
What bugged me the most was the nearly complete non-use of the internet by the folks barricaded in the library, and by the media. The librarian made a video to show what was going on, great. But did he post it to YouTube? Facebook? Instagram? Did he tweet it or email it to local news media? No, he emailed it to his friend, who handed her phone to a local newscaster, who barely watched it.
Also, the way the librarian allowed himself to be cast as the leader of this thing that was *not* his idea. It makes sense within the story, given how tightly the negotiator and the prosecutor were controlling the narrative (but why did they have that control? Why wasn't the librarian communicating with the outside world?), but he didn't make much effort to push back. OK, the actual instigator didn't want to talk to the police. Fair enough, and plausible. They were there from 6pm until 2am. Where's the manifesto a small group could have written in the first three hours, and (ahem) posted online? Where are the hashtags they could have all invented? It's like this took place in 1992. The internet is used only to get a cheap laugh about a homeless man using a dating site.
In a movie that centers a notoriously pink-collar profession, only one library staff member with a significant role is a woman. F that.
Why the heck did Christian Slater take off his coat and jacket before lying on the street? Also, why was everyone dressed like it was 35 degrees when it was supposedly more like 10? Some Californian's idea of what "bundled up" looks like. Phhhht.
Finally, are we really supposed to believe that riot police who were otherwise all ready to rush in, guns blazing, were stopped by the sight of a bunch of naked men? That ridiculous ending might as well have said straight out, "If you don't resist, you're safe!" when recent events show us that that is not true.
Emilio Estevez was not convincing. The dialogue was cliched and random. Jena Malone's character was disappointing.
The only reason I hope my library friends see this movie is so that we can complain about it together.
It's gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiny day!
CheriePage14 October 2021
Homelessness in winter can cost lives. The occupation of a public building as a night shelter appears to be a life saver, yet it is illegal.
Which is the greater good: public order or saving lives, and what do the media leave out in their reports?
The viewer must find his own answer, because the movie only asks the questions.
Regretfully, there is very little drama, that could give the viewer an experience of the hardship of homelessness or its alternatives. All figures are placed on the chessboard but the movie fails to entertain.
Don't pass on the issue though: Structures may be faulty, homeless may be lazy, but it all comes down to a person equal to you and me.
Which is the greater good: public order or saving lives, and what do the media leave out in their reports?
The viewer must find his own answer, because the movie only asks the questions.
Regretfully, there is very little drama, that could give the viewer an experience of the hardship of homelessness or its alternatives. All figures are placed on the chessboard but the movie fails to entertain.
Don't pass on the issue though: Structures may be faulty, homeless may be lazy, but it all comes down to a person equal to you and me.
Solid without being amazing
maccas-5636718 December 2019
That moment when Taylor Schilling says "I'll see you in jail" Haha Didn't help I couldn't shake seeing her as Piper Chapman the whole film.
The Public has quite the impressive cast. It's a strange little film though. I enjoyed it, but something prevented it from being amazing, or something I'd be talking about in years to come.
It highlights some really important issues plaguing society. I felt the film had a lot of heart and was never condescending to any group of society. There were a lot of great understated performances in this. The 2 hour runtime seemed to go by quickly for me. I could relate to many aspects of library life that were depicted. Many of the characters felt familiar.
The film just said what it had to say about the importance of libraries and the plight of the homeless, and then it just seemed to end. Worthwhile to check out if you're into libraries, Emilio Estevez or issues plaguing society.
The Public has quite the impressive cast. It's a strange little film though. I enjoyed it, but something prevented it from being amazing, or something I'd be talking about in years to come.
It highlights some really important issues plaguing society. I felt the film had a lot of heart and was never condescending to any group of society. There were a lot of great understated performances in this. The 2 hour runtime seemed to go by quickly for me. I could relate to many aspects of library life that were depicted. Many of the characters felt familiar.
The film just said what it had to say about the importance of libraries and the plight of the homeless, and then it just seemed to end. Worthwhile to check out if you're into libraries, Emilio Estevez or issues plaguing society.
All around entertaining
ray-9589019 September 2018
RE: mnreit's comment
chrisluttrell-6902522 November 2019
Alec Baldwin didn't ruin the movie
sales-681-5975171 February 2019
It is watchable, but not great
resireg13 April 2020
So far I saw 3 different movies directed by Emilio Estevez. The Path, The Public an the one about RFK. I think they all missed an opportunity. They have the right cast, the right them, but the wrong plot.
About this particular movie, it portray all homeless people as good hearthed, when in reality, just like mankind, there are good and bad bundled together. Many homeless are there because of their drug use, and they engage in crime as well, like stealing bikes, copper wire, burglary, etc. So they are not all angels.
And the message of the movie is wrong, because instead of showing how homeless shelters can be improved with showers, laundry machines, storage room, it just propose as a solution to transform public libraries into homeless community centers, which will as consequence just shoo away families and book enthusiast altogether (we know that the smell from dirty clothes can be unbearable for regular patrons).
About this particular movie, it portray all homeless people as good hearthed, when in reality, just like mankind, there are good and bad bundled together. Many homeless are there because of their drug use, and they engage in crime as well, like stealing bikes, copper wire, burglary, etc. So they are not all angels.
And the message of the movie is wrong, because instead of showing how homeless shelters can be improved with showers, laundry machines, storage room, it just propose as a solution to transform public libraries into homeless community centers, which will as consequence just shoo away families and book enthusiast altogether (we know that the smell from dirty clothes can be unbearable for regular patrons).
The Public
henry8-324 September 2020
A large group of homeless men are so cold that they stage an all night sit in protest in the public library run by Emilio Estevez who joins their crusade. Top cop Baldwin and politically ambitious Slater face off to the men.
The social message is a sound one and there are quite a few enjoyable and compelling scenes. There is though plenty wrong with this film. Some of the characters seem over the top or just ill fitting to the tone of the film. Slater's character seems to want to be a Bond villain and Estevez just seems to be playing eccentric and dithering for no apparent reason. Some of the plot points and script are a bit thin and waiver between a semi serious approach and a lightweight almost comic one. A good cast overall though with Michael K Williams winning any acting honours. Bit disappointing.
The social message is a sound one and there are quite a few enjoyable and compelling scenes. There is though plenty wrong with this film. Some of the characters seem over the top or just ill fitting to the tone of the film. Slater's character seems to want to be a Bond villain and Estevez just seems to be playing eccentric and dithering for no apparent reason. Some of the plot points and script are a bit thin and waiver between a semi serious approach and a lightweight almost comic one. A good cast overall though with Michael K Williams winning any acting honours. Bit disappointing.
Entertaining and Accurate
ekinney-135338 April 2019
I really liked this film. The reviews I saw mentioned that it had no ending, no resolution, which is true, but neither does the problem with homelessness in our society. I think it accurately reflects an urban library setting. I'd pay to see it again.
It's not your gang, Dave
c-glive26 February 2023
Great premise. Great production design. Perfectly cast. Fairly well written. I don't agree with every creative choice the filmmakers made. The movie left me wanting more, I kept waiting for things to go to another level or escalate a bit more, I appreciate the characters and the subject matter. I didn't want a brawl, I didn't want the film to turn into John Q but I was hoping it would build more pressure, or do a little more, it IS a movie after all. Good movie overall, worth watching, left me wanting more. Give Estevez more money, make sure the 3rd act is worthy of the first and second act. Best $1.80 I ever spent.
Alec Baldwin Ruined The Movie
adamwilson-564161 January 2019
Entertaining protest story the challenges free speech and authority.
JohnDeSando11 April 2019
"The public library is the last bastion of democracy that we have in this country!" Anderson (Jeffrey Wright)
A challenge to democracy, a defense of the first amendment, and a complex standoff between police and protesters is what writer/ director Emilio Estevez expertly does in the docudrama, the Public. With echoes of Dog Day Afternoon and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Estevez gives an authentic feel to this urban drama in one of the country's most conservative communities,
Like Dog Day's Sonny, protagonist Stuart Goodson (Estevez) is an innocent caught in his idealism and foolishness. Stuart manages a library and becomes involved in a homeless demonstration on perhaps the coldest Cincinnati night. The sufferers want refuge in the library, and the city erroneously considers their sit-in to be a hostage situation.
With the always interesting Alec Baldwin as Detective Ramstead negotiating, the scene gets tense, but Stuart is cool enough to keep talks going without giving in. Other characters are equally underwritten such as Jena Malone's librarian and Christian Slater's prosecutor/mayoral candidate. Especially the homeless characters, most are underdeveloped or emblematic of a single trait.
Stuart, however, is fully written but too goody for my taste. Although the writer/director clearly supports the protesters' point of view, the screenplay also allows moments when the authorities can be praised for keeping the peace but criticized for neglecting the plight of the homeless. With this complex characterization and motives, Estevez find a satisfactory drama amid some obvious stereotypes and clichés.
It's a good story played out everyday in different forms. The plight of the homeless and disadvantaged is eternal.
A challenge to democracy, a defense of the first amendment, and a complex standoff between police and protesters is what writer/ director Emilio Estevez expertly does in the docudrama, the Public. With echoes of Dog Day Afternoon and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Estevez gives an authentic feel to this urban drama in one of the country's most conservative communities,
Like Dog Day's Sonny, protagonist Stuart Goodson (Estevez) is an innocent caught in his idealism and foolishness. Stuart manages a library and becomes involved in a homeless demonstration on perhaps the coldest Cincinnati night. The sufferers want refuge in the library, and the city erroneously considers their sit-in to be a hostage situation.
With the always interesting Alec Baldwin as Detective Ramstead negotiating, the scene gets tense, but Stuart is cool enough to keep talks going without giving in. Other characters are equally underwritten such as Jena Malone's librarian and Christian Slater's prosecutor/mayoral candidate. Especially the homeless characters, most are underdeveloped or emblematic of a single trait.
Stuart, however, is fully written but too goody for my taste. Although the writer/director clearly supports the protesters' point of view, the screenplay also allows moments when the authorities can be praised for keeping the peace but criticized for neglecting the plight of the homeless. With this complex characterization and motives, Estevez find a satisfactory drama amid some obvious stereotypes and clichés.
It's a good story played out everyday in different forms. The plight of the homeless and disadvantaged is eternal.
See also
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