The Public

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
The Public Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

Inspiring story about homelessness has some mature content.

PG-13 2019 122 minutes
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Parents say

age 12+

Based on 2 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Stands out for and .

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Public is a drama about a group of homeless men attempting to spend the night in the Cincinnati Public Library during a brutal cold snap. Emilio Estevez wrote and directed and stars as the librarian who must make a hard choice. Uplifting and inspiring, the drama takes a warm, compassionate look at the problem of homelessness and simultaneously celebrates public libraries. That said, it does have some mature material. Language includes sporadic uses of "s--t," "a--hole," "bitch," and more; characters kiss; and a large group of naked men is shown (their bare bottoms are visible). A secondary character is said to be a drug user, a main character is a recovering addict, and a man drinks from a small bottle of booze. One man is punched, a character dies from the cold, and there's a tense police presence, as well as some violent dialogue.

Community Reviews

chathamsq
chathamsq Adult
July 3, 2021
age 12+
LittleLune810
LittleLune810 Adult
April 14, 2019
age 12+

Solid social justice film

The appropriate age level for your children to watch this will depend on your personal values and how comfortable you are explaining/discussing tough social, economic, and behavioral issues to them. I saw this movie at a special screening sponsored by local non-profits and the local public library. I enjoyed the film, although there are some portrayals and tropes that could have been handled a bit differently. For example, the majority of the homeless people are played by people of color, and because of this there is a slight feeling of “white saviorism” to the film. On the other hand, I think a lot of the class issues were handled beautifully. The film does contain a lot of nudity, including scenes of a crowd of naked men shown from behind. There is a fair amount of swearing and talk of substance abuse. Throughout the film a few homeless people die of exposure (it is not shown graphically) and one man has a seizure. Some of the men physically fight. If you are open to teaching your children harsh truths about injustice, social class disparities, institutional racism and classism, and potential consequences of substance abuse then this is a good movie to consider. I think it handles many of these issues with compassion and empathy. While the themes and much of the content is serious, there is also quite a bit of humor in the film. I have an 8 year old son; we have age appropriate talks about the above issues. If we were to watch it together, I would need to take care to differentiate between the jokes and the seriousness of the subject matter. I could see myself pausing the film often to explain things or to make sure he understands why some of the jokes, while funny, also have very serious undertones. Because of this, I would probably wait a few years to watch with him or to take him to see a film like this in theaters. Emilio Estevez is a good director and actor. I also really enjoyed his movie The Way. I hope he continues to make more thoughtful films like these two.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE PUBLIC, as an Arctic storm makes its way into Cincinnati, librarian Stuart Goodson (Emilio Estevez) heads to work at the public library. The usual group of homeless folks waits out front, looking to get out of the cold. Stuart tries to get his co-worker Myra (Jena Malone) promoted to the literature section and strikes up a possible romance with his building super, Angela (Taylor Schilling). But Stuart also may lose his job due to a lawsuit surrounding the ejection of a particularly pungent homeless man. As the day wears on, it's discovered that one of the homeless regulars has died from the cold. Homeless man Jackson (Michael Kenneth Williams) begins to ask why they can't declare an emergency and spend the night in the library. As the situation turns into a tense standoff, the district attorney (Christian Slater) turns up, as does a police detective (Alec Baldwin) who's searching for his own drug-addicted son. Can Stuart save the day?

Is It Any Good?

Writer/director/star Estevez achieves a career high with this empathetic look at homelessness, concentrating on a rousing, inspiring story, rich characters, and a fluid, detailed visual style. The Public inspires obvious comparisons to another Estevez movie set in a library over the course of a single day (The Breakfast Club), and while the two movies are both highly entertaining, The Public is slightly more ambitious. Unlike those behind so many other "message" movies, Estevez understands that ideas are best conveyed within the context of a good story. The Public doesn't try to lecture or solve the problem of homelessness; instead, it presents it on a very human level, with humor and heart.

Estevez's character, Stuart, is one of his best performances. Stuart is a nervous, wounded man with a hidden reservoir of strength and hope. The rest of the strong cast members rise to the occasion, with character actor Williams standing out and stealing most of the movie. As director, Estevez uses the library setting in a dynamic way, keeping the story flowing and the visuals moving, while his screenplay has a variety of satisfying riches and details. The Public should leave viewers smiling and, hopefully, with a fresh view on both homelessness and the local library.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Public's depiction of drug use and abuse. Does the movie take a positive, healing view of these things? Is it hopeful? Are drugs glamorized? Are there realistic consequences?

  • How does the movie portray homelessness? Are unsheltered people treated with compassion?

  • Do you visit your local library regularly? Does the movie make libraries look more appealing? More interesting? Less so?

  • Is Stuart a role model? Do his positive actions make up for his faults -- and his checkered past? Is he someone to emulate?

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