By Judd Lofchie –
I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to the Chicago premiere of the movie “The Public” and afterwards a Q & A with the director, Emilio Estevez, and Ryan Dowd, the executive director of Hesed House, Aurora’s homeless shelter. Ryan Dowd wrote the book, “The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness”and Emilio invited him to one of his pre-opening screenings. The two have been friends and tour mates ever since.
“The Public” is an important film with a great message. It shows the plight of Cincinnati’s homeless and the public library’s struggle to work with them. My having worked with the homeless for 30+ years, including starting the “Streetwise” homeless magazine in Chicago, I think Emilio hit it out of the park with his portrayal of the homeless. It’s not an easy issue and “not a problem that can be solved with a bake sale,” to steal a line from the movie. One thing that is a constant: Once someone is homeless, it’s very difficult to get out, regardless of why they got there.
It took Emilio Estevez 12 years to write and get the movie made, and one of the reasons is that homelessness is such a deep problem. It takes years to understand. Emilio stars in the movie, along with Alec Baldwin. It is not a heavy movie, rather it is uplifting and informative. The current audience review score is an excellent 93 on Rotten Tomatoes online movie website. I went with my wife, Suzanne, and friends Charlie, Donna, and Gandi to see it for the second time Saturday, and they all loved it, and you will too! It’s been out for a while, so don’t wait! It’s at Cinemark Tinseltown in North Aurora, at least through Thursday, April 25, and hopefully for another week! Please check it out and tell your friends. You won’t be disappointed!