SummaryIn The Public, an unusually bitter Arctic blast has made its way to downtown Cincinnati and the front doors of the public library where the action of the film takes place. The story revolves around the library patrons, many of whom are homeless, mentally ill and marginalized, as well as an exhausted and overwhelmed staff of librarians who often a... Read More
Directed By:Emilio Estevez
Written By:Emilio Estevez
The Public
Metascore
Mixed or Average
46
User score
Generally Favorable
6.5
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
46
22% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
61% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
17% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Apr 23, 2019
67
The Public, which played at TIFF last fall, is the kind of movie you want to like and that probably needs to get made and seen. But needing to see something and wanting to see it are different things.
Apr 5, 2019
63
The film is often entertaining, with some nice touches and compelling moments.
Apr 4, 2019
58
Even though The Public ultimately doesn’t come together as a dramatic piece, particularly in the hammy climax, it does take some impressive chances. Just making a story about the invisible homeless is a brave move to start—audiences tend not to like stories about intractable issues, after all.
Apr 5, 2019
50
Most egregiously, Gabrielle Union plays a TV news reporter determined to portray the protest as a hostage situation. At the film’s nadir, Stuart, on the phone with her during a broadcast, stops making his case and begins quoting from “The Grapes of Wrath.”
Apr 3, 2019
50
The film is a clunky and at times ridiculous affair, taking a situation that might reasonably happen and turning it into something melodramatic and ultimately unbelievable.
Apr 4, 2019
40
[Estevez] still hasn't progressed beyond the film-school basics, but somehow he managed to recruit an all-star cast of (presumably) like-minded activists for The Public.
Apr 1, 2019
25
The film is a clunky, overwritten attempt to pack as many tortured subplots and pre-chewed sociological insights as can possibly fit into a two-hour runtime.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.5
50% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
25% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
25% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Oct 18, 2019
10
I haven't been moved by a movie this deep in a long time... can't say anything negative about it...this is a Big Positive...Congrats to Steves...this is an inspiration.
Oct 26, 2020
6
This film didn’t play many cities but has turned up on Peacock and several other streamers. Emilio Estevez wrote, directed and stars as a librarian who’s faced with the daily influx of homeless in the facility. When it gets particularly cold, a group of them decides to stay, which creates the crux of the conflict. Estevez has enlisted a strong cast (including Alex Baldwin, Jeffrey Wright and Christian Slater) and kept the events interesting. The issues behind the marginalized get their full expression and there are a few personal interactions to add some depth. It’s never gripping, sometimes unrealistic and occasionally frustrating (that reporter played by Gabrielle Union is one example), but the film ranks a bit above political discourse.
Production Company:
- Hammerstone Studios
- e2 Films
- Cedarvale Pictures
- Living the Dream Films
Release Date:Apr 5, 2019
Duration:1 h 59 m
Rating:PG-13
Tagline:Every Story Matters.
Awards
Film Club's The Lost Weekend
• 4 Wins & 4 Nominations
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Cleveland International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
