This docudrama delves into the tragic shooting of the 22-year-old black father who died in the hospital. Apparently the BART officer who shot him made a fatal mistake due to his racial prejudice.
What a heart-wrenching and sad story!

In this his first feature length film, writer/director Ryan Coogler presents a fictionalized account of Oscar Grant’s final 24 hours as he interacts with friends, his mother (Octavia Spencer), his common-law wife (Melonie Diaz) and their young daughter. As portrayed by Micheal B. Jordan, Grant was a flawed character who nevertheless had just decided to turn his life around on the afternoon of December 31st. A generic story proceeds to unfold with the usual posturing and recriminations (a flashback to his prison stint shows a wedge driven between Oscar and his mother, his wife is fed up with the dealing and cheating) as well as some emotional manipulation with slo-mo pans of dad and daughter and a wholly unnecessary foreshadowing involving an injured dog. Even a woman he chats up at the local supermarket makes a highly improbable cameo later on while the officer in charge that night (Canada’s own Kevin Durand) is a caricature of evil. And that’s a pity for with the tragic shooting and its immediate aftermath—filmed right where it actually happened—Coogler effectively shifts into an intense montage of handheld verité and enraged chaos. But the resultant trial and social fallout—both germane to truly appreciating what happened—are limited to a closing string of cue cards accompanied by a couple of family photos. Still, for an inaugural feature Coogler demonstrates he has what it takes to tell a story and his casting choices were impeccable.

Heck of a movie. Kudos to Coogler and Jordan. Great movie, but it is a heart wrenching one to watch.

I took a rare trip on BART over the weekend, which reminded me that I had meant to watch Fruitvale Station. Great movie from such a young writer/director, but with a tragic ending. A realistic look at the other side of Oscar Grant's life and life in the East Bay.

A very powerful true story. The advantage of viewing it on DVD is to watch the Bonus material. Octavia Spencer who plays Oscar's mother expressed very well what I felt watching the movie. That is the humanity of the story. Did you see color or did you see a human being living an ordinary life facing common life experiences before his tragic death? That is what this movie is about. Humanizing black people. I cried because of the injustice and the frustration and anger they all must have felt. I recently retired and have watched a lot of documentaries and true stories on our country which includes slavery. I found out how the psychological damage of slavery affects a person and their descendants. The issue for us is how can we as a nation reverse that damage?

Michael Jordan and Octavia Spencer were great in the movie. Overall pace of film was choppy and less effective than it could have been.

Very good film with a tragic ending. First of many films with Michael B. Jordan directed by Ryan Coogler. Received Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at Sundance that year.

Powerful movie based on a true story. The events still depresses and haunts me to this day. This did not have to happen. What a tragedy!

Police officers & private security are the only people who have ever aimed loaded firearms at me.

Typical trendy anti-cop movie based on a true story of police abuse. Not really worth the watch.