The Public

The Public is a 2018 American drama film directed and written by Emilio Estevez, who also stars in the film alongside an ensemble cast including Alec Baldwin, Jena Malone, Christian Slater, Gabrielle Union, Taylor Schilling, Jacob Vargas, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Jeffrey Wright. The film had its world premiere on September 9, 2018, at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was theatrically released in the United States on April 5, 2019, by Greenwich Entertainment. Plot After learning that emergency shelters are at full capacity when a brutal Midwestern cold front makes its way to Cincinnati, a large group of homeless library patrons led by Jackson (Michael Kenneth Williams) refuse to leave the downtown public library at closing time. What begins as a nonviolent Occupy-style sit-in and ragtag act of civil disobedience quickly escalates into a standoff with local riot police, led by a no-nonsense crisis negotiator (Alec Baldwin) and a savvy district attorney (Christian Slater) with lofty political ambitions, all as two librarians (Emilio Estevez and Jena Malone) are caught in the middle. Cast Emilio Estevez as Stuart Goodson, a librarian at the Cincinnati Public Library Alec Baldwin as Detective Bill Ramstead, a crisis negotiator for the Cincinnati Police Department Christian Slater as Josh Davis, the local district attorney for the City of Cincinnati Jena Malone as Myra, a librarian at the Cincinnati Public Library Taylor Schilling as Angela, Stuart's neighbor and love interest Michael K. Williams as Jackson, the homeless man who leads the Occupy sit-in at the library Jeffrey Wright as Mr. Anderson, the head librarian of the Cincinnati Public Library Gabrielle Union as Rebecca Parks, a local reporter Jacob Vargas as Ernesto, head of security for the library Richard T. Jones as Chief Edwards Bryant Bentley as Cactus Ray, the homeless man who helps Jackson in the sit-in at the library Ki Hong Lee as Chip Michael Douglas Hall as Smutts, homeless friend of Jackson's that sparks the idea of the sit-in Che "Rhymefest" Smith as Big George Production