The Public

Name: The Public
Genre: Drama
Released: April 5, 2019
Duration: 119 min
Rating: 46
Cast: Alec Baldwin, Christian Slater, Derek Polen, Emilio Estevez, Gabrielle Union

2019

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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6.5

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6.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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The Public

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) | Release Date: April 5, 2019 | PG-13

Starring: Alec Baldwin, Christian Slater, Derek Polen, Emilio Estevez, Gabrielle Union, Jacob Vargas, Jeffrey Wright, Jena Malone, John Newsom, Ki Hong Lee, Michael Kenneth Williams, Richard T. Jones, Spencer Garrett, Susanna Thompson, Taylor Schilling

Summary: In 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 whoIn 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 act as "de-facto social workers" and care for those regular patrons. At odds with library officials over how to handle the extreme weather event, the patrons turn the building into a homeless shelter for the night by staging an "Occupy" sit in. What begins as an act of civil disobedience becomes a stand-off with police and a rush-to-judgment media constantly speculating about what's really happening inside the building.… Expand

Director: Emilio Estevez

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 119 min

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Critic Reviews

Kim Hughes

Apr 23, 2019

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. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Sep 18, 2019

Jeffrey Wright plays the world weary library director trying to keep the peace and hold on to some semblance of the institution’s core mission — a fact delivering, education supplementing bastion of learning, civic responsibility and civility. That’s one thing The Public absolutely nails. Read full review

Alan Ng

Apr 5, 2019

In these divided times, films centering on political issues either make an earnest attempt to persuade the other side to consider its point of view or play to its political allies and demonize its enemies. The Public does the latter, and the result is to further widen the divide of political discourse with self-righteous finger-pointing. Read full review

Tricia Olszewski

Apr 3, 2019

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. Read full review

Ben Kenigsberg

Apr 5, 2019

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.” Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Feb 26, 2020

It is a film with its heart in the right place, but the dialogue and characterisation are both plonkingly unconvincing. Read full review

Keith Watson

Apr 1, 2019

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. Read full review

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User Reviews

hellpitt

Oct 18, 2019

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.

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TVJerry

Oct 26, 2020

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 createsThis 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.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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