20, 2013. The film opened in select theaters on July 12.
This opening took place about the same time as the Florida jury decided the verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman for shooting Trayvon Martin.
Critical reception
Fruitvale Station received critical acclaim. The film has a 94% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
with an average rating of 8.1 out of 10, based on 189 reviews. The critical consensus states: "Passionate and powerfully acted,
Fruitvale Station serves as a celebration of life, a condemnation of death, and a triumph for star Michael B. Jordan." On Metacritic,
which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 85, based on 46 reviews,
indicating "universal acclaim". CinemaScore reported that audiences gave an "A" average grade.Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter called it
"a compelling debut" and "a powerful dramatic feature film". He also praised the lead performances stating, "As Oscar, Jordan
at moments gives off vibes of a very young Denzel Washington in the way he combines gentleness and toughness;
he effortlessly draws the viewer in toward him. Diaz is vibrant as his patient and loyal girlfriend, while Spencer brings her gravitas
to the proceedings as his stalwart mother." Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt has praised the film as the "best film" of Sundance Film Festival 2013.
In writing for The Village Voice, chief film critic Stephanie Zacharek called it "a restrained,
but forceful picture that captures some of the texture and detail of one human life" and praised first-time director Ryan Coogler, writing that he
"dramatizes Oscar's last day by