if beale street could talk james baldwin movie

If Beale Street Could Talkmoves between present day and flashbacks, and is told through the eyes of Tish. They are not puppets for Baldwin’s believes, nor are they just there to move the story along. The interactions feel authentic and the characters all have agency. The people found in this book embody the spirit of Baldwin’s thoughts and they live effortlessly in his words. Baldwin never wavers in this convictions about racism and the corruptness of the criminal justice system, however these ideas don’t come at the expense of believable characters or dialogue.

This book seamlessly marries a fictional story with very clear and searing commentary on injustice in America. In a love story that evokes the blues, where passion and sadness are inevitably intertwined, Baldwin has created two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche. Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions–affection, despair, and hope. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned.

Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin’s story mixes the sweet and the sad. If you’re not familiar with the this novel, here is a brief synopsis for you. I have read a little James Baldwin here and there and never been disappointed, but to be honest I was in no hurry to read this book, until I saw the trailer for the If Beale Street Could Talk. Here is yet another book I decided to read right away, because the movie is coming.

If beale street could talk james baldwin movie