Synopsis
1971 post civil rights San Francisco seemed like the perfect place for a black Korean War veteran and his family to realize their dream of economic independence, and a chance for him to be his own boss. Charlie Walker would soon find out how naive he was. In a city full of impostors and naysayers, he refused to take "No" for an answer. That is, until a catastrophic disaster opened a door that had never been open to a black man before. This is a story about what happened when he stepped through that door with both feet.
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Cast
- Mike ColterCharlie Walker
- Dylan BakerMr. Bennett
- Safiya FredericksAnn Walker
- Mark Leslie FordMr. Sharpe
- Steven WiigDan Wallace
- Emma Caulfield FordFran
- Monica BarbaroPeggy
- Carl LumblyWillie
- Greg CipesZephyr
- Boots RileyBartender Ray
Recommendations
- 70
Film Threat
It is a straightforward narrative of racism where one man’s courage and refusal to give up provides an outlet for success and reform. - 63
Movie Nation
I’m Charlie Walker has just enough “feel good” and “that’ll show them” elements to get by. But I dare say a better film was hacked out of it, at some point. The evidence of that easy enough to see. - 60
The New York Times
It’s Charlie’s wife, Ann (Safiya Fredericks), who provides the movie’s voice-over. Her account has a mythmaking undercurrent but is also the film’s deft way of celebrating Black love and family. - 50
San Francisco Chronicle
The movie is so enamored of Walker, and Colter radiates so much charisma and pleasant mischief in the role, that it takes about half the running time to realize that the movie is not delivering on the basics. - 38
TheWrap
It’s so talky and un-visual that despite it taking place in multiple locations, including the California coastline, it feels like a play barely opened up for the cameras. - 38
RogerEbert.com
Not since Morgan Freeman’s Joe Clark in “Lean on Me” has a real-life person’s ass been kissed more by a movie. At least that movie had superior lips. - 33
The A.V. Club
It is a bewildering misfire which roundly illustrates the differences between a historically under-told story which arguably should be amplified and a movie that actually does a good job of accomplishing that task. - 30
Screen Rant
The only real saving grace is the cast, who end up guinea pigs in a test of how difficult it is to overcome underbaked material.
