By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
Chances are you probably haven't heard of
Charlie Walker. However, after seeing Shout! Studios' new indie movie,
"I'm Charlie Walker," you won’t forget the guy.
Directed and written by
Patrick Gilles ("Olive"), "I'm Charlie Walker" is loosely based on a true story set in 1971 in the Bay Area.
Mike Colter (TV's "Luke Cage" and "Evil") plays Walker, who is a hardworking trucking and construction entrepreneur looking forward to someday owning his own company and living in the Bay Area with his lovely wife Ann (the talented,
Safiya Fredericks, "Sorry to Bother You").
When two oil tankers collided off the San Francisco Coast and spilled tons of crude oil in the Bay, it became a massive environmental disaster. Several companies and corporations offered their services. Walker also wanted a piece of the action. However, he endured blatant racism and was overlooked and made to jump through so many hoops just to get the contract.
With dogged determination and support from his wife and kids, Walker didn't give up. In fact, being slighted emboldened him to find a way. Walker outsmarted and outmaneuvered many of the corporate honchos like the shady oil company owner Mr. Bennett (a snarky and good Dylan Baker, TV's "Hunters").
Walker is finally able to secure a contract to clean up the Stinson Beach area. That seems like an enormous task, but not for him. Walker, is not only smart, but pretty persuasive and charming when he has to be.
He begins to reach out to residents in the community. The hippies, rich folks, and even other truckers. They help him get things in place to do the job.
He does it much more efficiently than most of the other contractors.
Naturally, this doesn't sit well with many of them including Mr. Bennett who tries to undermine Walker's efforts. Yet, Walker is three steps ahead of Bennett and his crew and is quietly making moves to take them down. They don't even see it coming.
Walker even gets a bit of sage advice from a cab driver played by former San Francisco Mayor, Willie Brown.
Ironically, Brown worked as a cab driver while attending Hastings Law School. That's why he was such a natural for the role. The real Walker was also a driver for Brown during the 1980s. He is 88 years old and currently lives in Bayview-Hunters Point (San Francisco).
Once Walker (Colter) finagled his way into the business, he was ready to make his mark and he did. He also made a ton of money.
"Charlie Walker" is a fascinating movie. For a small budget film, it has a big, impressive cast that includes Monica Barbaro (“Top Gun: Maverick"), Carl Lumbly (“Falcon and the Winter Soldier”), Steven Wiig (“Milk”), Mark Leslie Ford ("Velvet Buzzsaw"), Greg Cipes (“Fast & The Furious”) and Emma Caulfield Ford (“WandaVision”).
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 6:20 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"I'M CHARLIE WALKER"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
