Fruitvale Station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fruitvale Station
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ryan Coogler
Produced by	Nina Yang Bongiovi Forest Whitaker
Written by	Ryan Coogler
Starring	Michael B. Jordan Melonie Diaz Kevin Durand Chad Michael Murray Ahna O'Reilly Octavia Spencer
Music by	Ludwig Göransson
Cinematography	Rachel Morrison
Editing by	Claudia Castello Michael P. Shawver
Studio	Significant Productions
Distributed by	The Weinstein Company
Release date(s)	January 19, 2013 (2013-01-19) (Sundance) July 12, 2013 (2013-07-12) (United States)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$900,000
Money made	$17.4 million

Fruitvale Station is a powerful 2013 American drama film. It was written and directed by Ryan Coogler. This was Coogler's very first major film.

The movie tells the true story of Oscar Grant's last day. He was a young man from Oakland, California. The film shows the events that happened to him at the Fruitvale BART station in 2009.

Michael B. Jordan plays Oscar Grant in the film. Other stars include Melonie Diaz, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray, Ahna O'Reilly, and Octavia Spencer.

Fruitvale Station first showed at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. It was called Fruitvale then. The film won two big awards there: the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. It also won an award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival for Best First Film. The movie was released in theaters on July 12, 2013.

Meet the Cast

This section lists the main actors and the characters they play in Fruitvale Station.

Making the Movie

How the Idea Started

Director Ryan Coogler was a student when Oscar Grant's story happened in 2009. Coogler wanted to make a film about Grant's final day. He wanted viewers to feel like they knew Oscar. This way, what happened to him would feel more real.

Coogler met Oscar Grant's family and their lawyer. He worked with them to make sure the story was told accurately.

In 2011, a film company owned by Forest Whitaker was looking for new directors. Coogler showed them his ideas. Soon, Whitaker decided to support Fruitvale Station. Coogler also got help from the Sundance Screenwriters Lab. They helped him develop the script. The film received money from the Feature Film Program and the San Francisco Film Society.

Choosing the Actors and Crew

Ryan Coogler thought of Michael B. Jordan for the role of Oscar Grant even before writing the script. In April 2012, Jordan joined the cast. Octavia Spencer also joined the film. She helped find more money for the movie. She even became a co-executive producer. Hannah Beachler became the film's production designer.

Filming Locations and Style

Fruitvale Station was filmed in Oakland, California. The filming took 20 days in July 2012. Some scenes were shot at the actual Bay Area Rapid Transit platform where the events took place. BART allowed the crew to film there for a few nights.

The film also used San Quentin State Prison for a flashback scene. The movie was shot using special 16mm film cameras.

The film includes real video footage of the events. Director Ryan Coogler explained that he felt it was important. He wanted people from all over the world to see what happened to Oscar.

The Movie's Music

Ludwig Göransson, who went to college with Coogler, created the music for Fruitvale Station. He used sounds from the BART train in the music. He made the train sounds feel like a dark, moody background. He also used layered guitars to create a haunting sound.

Coogler wanted the music to feel natural. He made sure the music often came from sounds in the movie's environment. A soundtrack album was released in September 2013.

Film's Release and Success

First Showings

Fruitvale Station first showed on January 19, 2013, at the Sundance Film Festival. After its success there, many companies wanted to distribute it. The Weinstein Company bought the rights to the film. In May 2013, the movie was shown at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. It won an award for Best First Film.

The movie had a special showing in Oakland on June 20, 2013. It then opened in select theaters on July 12.

Box Office Earnings

The film earned about $127,445 on its first day. In its first weekend, it made $377,285 from only seven theaters. This was a great start for a film in limited release. A week later, it expanded to 35 theaters and earned $742,272.

On July 26, the film opened nationwide in over 1,000 locations. It earned $4.59 million that weekend. In total, Fruitvale Station made over $17 million worldwide.

Awards and Recognitions

Fruitvale Station received many awards and honors. Here are some of them:

Watching at Home

Fruitvale Station became available for digital download on December 31, 2013. The DVD and Blu-ray versions were released on January 14, 2014.

See also

In Spanish: Fruitvale Station (película) para niños