Man, I can’t even drive a car, and I tried to make my lawyer—but he was really their lawyer, dig, he worked for the city—prove that, but he didn’t. He’s a man. If you have visitors, or even if you have only one visitor, but that visitor is constant, it means that someone outside cares about you. IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK. Edit. As a result, readers see that kindness and genuine connection perpetuate themselves. And trouble, here, means danger. As far as she’s concerned, Fonny raped her and that’s that, and now she hasn’t got to deal with it anymore. What’s more, Frank’s daughters, Adrienne and Sheila, take after their mother, so he has strained relationships with them, too. I could not conceive of peddling myself for so low a price. LitCharts Teacher Editions. She moved away from me a little and put my glass in my hand. He is a director and producer, known for If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), Moonlight (2016) and Medicine for Melancholy (2008). Because Tish’s parents give her love and support, she’s able to do the same for Fonny. But the baby, turning for the first time in its incredible veil of water, announces its presence and claims me; tells me, in that instant, that what can get worse can get better; and that what can get better can get worse. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. To that end, Tish also observes that her frequent visits reassure Fonny “that others love him, too, love him so much that they have” urged her to quit her job to be with him. Based on the novel by James Baldwin, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK is the story of Tish, a newly engaged Harlem woman who races against the clock to prove her lover’s innocence while carrying their first-born child to term. What difference does it make how it gets here? If you trusted love this far, don’t panic now. My judgment had been due to my sense of how little they appeared to want. I now began to realize that my judgment of these women had had very little to do with morals. Release year: 2018. Tish has “trusted love” to guide her through life thus far, so it would be foolish to suddenly stop paying attention to its powers in this time of sorrow. (director/writer: Barry Jenkins; screenwriter: based on the novel by James Baldwin; cinematographer: James Laxton; editors: Joi McMillon, Nat Sanders; music: Nicholas Britell; cast: KiKi Layne (Tish), Stephan James (Fonny), Regina King (Sharon), Colman Domingo (Joseph Rivers), Teyonah Parris (Ernestine), Michael Beach (Frank Hunt), Aunjanue Ellis (Mrs. Hunt), Ebony Obsidian (Fonny’s sister), Dave Franco (Levy), Diego Luna (Pedrocito… And Mrs. Hunt added, “These girls won’t be bringing me no bastards to feed, I can guarantee you that.”, “But the child that’s coming,” said Sharon, after a moment, “is your grandchild. Man, it was bad. But, just remember, love brought you here. Although the details of her lover’s unfair imprisonment are dispiriting, Tish maintains a sense of hope, thanks to her supportive family members. But I didn’t do nothing. “Something travels from him to me,” she writes, “it is love and courage. “He is not alone; we are not alone,” she writes, showing that gestures of love create a sense of security and community. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. The Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) is an organization of 26 film critics and writers from Florida-based print and online publications. 'If Beale Street Could Talk' Gets the Chopped Not Slopped Treatment. And the rest of us, well, we going to hold on to you. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Worse, Mrs. Rogers—the rape victim who was manipulated into identifying Fonny as her rapist—has disappeared, meaning there’s almost nothing Fonny’s lawyer can do to dispute her accusation. In If Beale Street Could Talk, a novel about the cruelty and injustice that black people face in America, James Baldwin shines a light on the fortifying effects of love. Director Scene Breakdown S1 • E3 Director Barry Jenkins Breaks Down a Romantic "Flashout" from 'If Beale Street Could Talk' - Duration: 5:56. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Academy Award-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) returns with his adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel.Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of a couple’s unbreakable bond and the African-American family’s empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish (talented newcomer KiKi Layne). My God caused me to know it many a year ago. If I didn’t plead guilty, they’d throw me the book. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is … His fifth novel, is a love story set in Harlem in the early 1970s. “[Joseph] sees that Adrienne loves her father with a really desperate love,” Tish narrates. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." In some movies, this kind of Every day, when he sees my face, he knows, again, that I love him—and God knows I do, more and more, deeper and deeper, with every hour. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) Parents Guide Add to guide . You got to hold on to that baby, don’t care what else happens or don’t happen. When Frank’s daughters come into the kitchen and ask what’s going on, Frank throws a glass and yells at them. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. The child ain’t got nothing to do with that—don’t none of us have nothing to do with that!". Luckily, though, Tish has a strong support network at home, as her parents and her sister work hard to do whatever they can to make her situation easier. Struggling with distance learning? His screen adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel If Beale Street Could Talk received critical acclaim and won a best supporting actress award for Regina King at the 2019 89th Academy Awards. Originally published in 1974, the novel gained fresh attention with Barry Jenkins’ film adaptation in 2019. Struggling with distance learning? Instant downloads of all 1423 LitChart PDFs I meant to say it in a very offhand way, so he wouldn’t be too upset, so he’d understand that I was saying it without any kind of accusation in my heart. In If Beale Street Could Talk, a novel about the cruelty and injustice that black people face in America, James Baldwin shines a light on the fortifying effects of love. It is a celebration of love told through the story of a young couple, their families and their lives, trying to bring about justice through love, for love and the promise of the … They said—they still say—stole a car. Director Barry Jenkins summons James Baldwin ’s spirit in his adaptation of the author’s 1974 book, “If Beale Street Could Talk” by immediately quoting him onscreen: “Every black person born in America was born on Beale Street, whether in Jackson, Mississippi, or … However, Jenkins had to cut several scenes from the film. Of course, Tish is distraught because Fonny is in prison, but the reason this situation is so emotionally difficult in the first place is that she loves Fonny, and this should remind her that she has something special—after all, she wouldn’t be so upset if her and Fonny’s love wasn’t genuine. Anyway, you ain’t making no damn money. Of course, she’s lying. Barry Jenkins was born on November 19, 1979 in Miami, Florida, USA. Following her mother’s advice to “trust love,” Tish eventually quits her job so she can visit Fonny every day, a decision that has a profound effect on his ability to embody resilience despite the psychologically taxing conditions of prison. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. And so—you know—since I had that weed on me, they had me anyhow and so they said if I would plead guilty they’d give me a lighter sentence. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Our, "Sooo much more helpful than SparkNotes. It going to give him a whole lot of courage. Trivia (7) Favorite part of the filmmaking process is hands-on … No matter what you understand, you can’t help waiting: for your name to be called, to be taken from your cell and led downstairs. Fandango All Access 18,511 views 5:56 Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple's unbreakable bond and the African-American family's empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year old Tish Rivers (screen newcomer KiKi Layne). You can’t say that. Our, "Sooo much more helpful than SparkNotes. And, anyway, I wasn’t in no car when they picked me up. IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK offers the radical notion that a film about African-Americans can be interesting without giving them superpowers or making them amoral street thugs. Because If Beale Street Could Talk is largely about the injustices that black people face in America, it’s worth considering The Fire Next Time in tandem with the novel, since it is Baldwin’s nonfiction exploration of race relations in the United States. Now, listen, […] you got enough on your mind without worrying about being a bad girl and all that jive-ass shit. Then, all I could see was Fonny. Although the details of her lover’s unfair imprisonment are dispiriting, Tish maintains a sense of hope, thanks to her supportive family members. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. The title is a reference to the 1916 W.C. Unlike his father, Fonny has a group of people who do understand how to “soothe” him, which is exactly what Tish does in her visits. With KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Teyonah Parris. MPAA: Rated R for language and some … You can tell by the way he’s taken all this shit that he’s a man. This is critical to his survival, since he might otherwise crack under the pressures of living in prison without any indication that his life will improve. The white man’s got to be the devil. One night, when she’s feeling particularly dispirited, her mother sits her down and says, “I don’t want to sound foolish. That means you can’t really say anything. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, Easy-to-use guides to literature, poetry, literary terms, and more, Super-helpful explanations and citation info for over 30,000 important quotes, Unrestricted access to all 50,000+ pages of our website and mobile app. Some­ times it ends for the worse. Yes. Every so often, the characters in Barry Jenkins’s anguished and mournful “If Beale Street Could Talk” look straight at the camera, and at you. Whatever they want. I always knew that you would be the destruction of my son. You have a demon in you—I always knew it. In the first scene of the novel, Tish speaks to her lover, Fonny Hunt, who is in jail, and tells him she is pregnant. Though the death took many forms, though people died early in many different ways, the death itself was very simple and the cause was simple, too: as simple as a plague: the kids had been told that they weren’t worth shit and everything they saw around them proved it. What would you say? Troubled About My Soul...went to a Spanish restaurant where Fonny was a regular, and a kind man named Pedrocito ushered them inside and treated them spectacularly. And you know how often people go mad, and how rarely they change. If anything, I’m proud. And they dogs, man. Running time: 120 min. The baby cannot get here without me. But I had a little grass on me. It seems to me that if I quit my job, I’ll be making the six o’clock visit forever. It was adapted as a film of the same name, written and directed by Barry Jenkins, and it garnered an Academy Award for Best … As a result, Frank finds himself unable to stay strong for Fonny; feeling unsupported, hopeless, and alone, he commits suicide. This is the case for Fonny’s family. I got more experience. Although the details of her lover’s unfair imprisonment are dispiriting, Tish maintains a sense of hope, thanks to her supportive family members. But—she’s—not—lying. For instance, Fonny’s father, Frank, loves him dearly and will do anything to help him, but he’s at odds with his wife, Mrs. Hunt, who’s hesitant to help Fonny because she resents him for getting arrested. Will you listen to me? Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk Does James Baldwin Proud By Chuck Wilson | January 2 at 9 a.m. On the Basis of Sex Shrewdly Makes RBG Into a Feminist Jimmy Stewart Every day, when he sees my face, he knows, again, that I love him […].” In this passage, Tish recognizes that it’s more important for Fonny to feel loved and supported than it is for her to make extra money to put toward his defense. The timeline below shows where the character Pedrocito appears in If Beale Street Could Talk. With KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Teyonah Parris. Trouble means you’re alone. The If Beale Street Could Talk quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Baby. read more. And I’m not ashamed of Fonny. “Save the children,” she said, very quietly, and drained her glass. If you trusted love this far, don’t panic now.” By saying this, she acknowledges the difficulties of Tish’s situation while also celebrating the beauty that comes along with being in love. You keep on like you going, you going to lose that baby. "While it was the first time Baldwin has been adapted for an English-language feature film, and there was some pressure to keep as much of it the same as … I don’t understand you. Tish is 19 and pregnant with the love child of 22-year-old Fonny (a/k/a Lorenzo), who is incarcerated for a rape he clearly could not have committed. And so they come and picked me up, like that, you know, it was about midnight, and they locked me up and then the next morning they put me in the lineup and somebody said it was me stole the car—that car I ain’t seen yet. Unfortunately, though, so do resentment and animosity. Since her family members are all contributing their own cash to the cause, Tish is able to throw all her energy into making sure Fonny feels like he has a strong and loving network backing him through this difficult time. My presence, which is of no practical value whatever, which can even be considered, from a practical point of view, as a betrayal, is vastly more important than any practical thing I might be doing. If Beale Street Could Talk - Pedrocito film clip - YouTube Baldwin's novel "follows Tish, a newly engaged Harlem woman who races against the clock to … I felt the way I’d felt all day, alone with my trouble. Genre (s): Drama Romance Crime. I can’t say to anybody in this bus, Look, Fonny is in trouble, he’s in jail—can you imagine what anybody on this bus would say to me if they knew, from my mouth, that I love somebody in jail?—and I know he’s never com­mitted any crime and he’s a beautiful person, please help me get him out. And we going to get Fonny out. But understand­ing doesn’t help him at six o’clock. She would soothe it if she could, she does not know how. Very bad. I sure hope I raised you better than that. He is a director and producer, known for If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), Moonlight (2016) and Medicine for Melancholy (2008). I know that it ends. Fonny is in jail because he was falsely accused by … An incredible intelligence charged the air between us. (including. A young woman embraces her pregnancy while she and her family set out to prove her childhood friend and lover innocent of a crime he didn't commit. Well […] I was alone, baby, wasn’t nobody, and so I en­tered the guilty plea. I guess you call your lustful action love […]. If you was a bad girl, you wouldn’t be sitting on that bed, you’d long been turning tricks for the warden. Can you imagine what anybody on this bus would say? Yes. Because of her mother’s wise words, Tish finds herself capable of giving Fonny a sense of assurance, reminding him that he is part of a community that loves him dearly. Available on Hulu. If Beale Street Could Talk is told from the point-of-view of Tish Rivers, a 19-year-old from Harlem. 13 VIDEOS | 185 IMAGES. And this can get you through the night, into the day. Du Bois, and Ralph Ellison had engaged with and responded to the “classical tradition,” they invariably Drama 2018 1 hr 59 min. Barry Jenkins is a film director, writer, producer, and screenwriter. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Barry Jenkins' adaptation of James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk has been as faithful to the novel as it could be. He talked about his editing process with IndieWire. Barry Jenkins was born on November 19, 1979 in Miami, Florida, USA. If she changes her testimony, she’ll go mad. Or become another woman. Summary: Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple's unbreakable bond and the African-American family's empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year old Tish Rivers (KiKi Layne). As for the restaurant, what kind it is is a very minor point and could … “My presence,” she notes, “which is of no practical value whatever, […] is vastly more important than any practical thing I might be doing. After all, the man she loves has been wrongfully accused of rape, and she’s pregnant with his child. -Graham S. Below you will find the important quotes in, “Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. If Beale Street Could Talk is a novel by James Baldwin (1924-1987), a critically acclaimed African American writer on matters of race and the African American experience. He is not alone; we are not alone. And that baby be the best thing that ever happened to Fonny. I know I can’t help you very much right now—God knows what I wouldn’t give if I could. If Beale Street Could Talk is a 1974 novel by American writer James Baldwin. LitCharts Teacher Editions. But maybe I realized that she was frightened, too, although she was trying to sound calm and tough. My prayers will save him. It’s over. Teachers and parents! In turn, she is able to visit Fonny—her fiancé—and give him the same kind of loving encouragement. Even as his situation gets gradually worse, these visits are like sustenance to him, constantly reminding him that Tish and her love—in addition to their unborn child—are reasons to persevere through the injustice and racism that landed him in prison and keeps him there. (including. And you and Fonny be to­gether right now, married or not, wasn’t for that same damn white man. Handy blues song "Beale Street Blues", named after Beale Street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee. Teachers and parents! Please? And it’s bad now. Some of the things I saw, baby, I’ll be dreaming about until the day I die. We are going to make it, somehow.” Using only “love and courage,” then, Tish embodies a kind of optimism, which she then conveys to Fonny, helping him believe that together they’ll survive these hard times—a notion that communicates Baldwin’s faith in the unmatched power of love. "Luna will play Pedrocito, a friend of Fonny and the guy who works in the Spanish restaurant." But that light tap, that kick, that signal, announces to me that what can get worse can get better. No matter what you may understand, and really understand, and no matter what you may tell yourself, if no one comes to see you, you are in very bad trouble. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. It means that others love him, too, love him so much that they have set me free to be there. Don’t you worry. “Unbow your head, sister,” she said, and raised her glass and touched mine. Two years! "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Barry Jenkins, Director: If Beale Street Could Talk. I explain this to Fonny, and he says he understands, and, in fact, he does. You can suffer so bad that you can be driven to a place where you can’t ever suffer again: and that’s worse. I know it’s hard —but don’t you worry. But you let me worry about that. I don’t. They struggled, they struggled, but they fell, like flies, and they congregated on the garbage heaps of their lives, like flies. We are certainly in it now, and it may get worse.