Rob Peace
Chiwetel Ejiofor wrote, direct and co-stars in this gritty drama about an extraordinary young man who was trapped by his New Jersey community's criminal web.
The whole nature/nurture debate has raged for centuries, from scientific fields to social work to politics, the arts and beyond. What determines an individual’s fate: their innate abilities, or the environment in which they come up?
Most people agree it’s both, to wildly varying degrees, and even those endowed with the most talent won’t rise unless they’re given space and opportunity to develop their given gifts. There undoubtedly have been guys who could’ve been LeBron but never touched a basketball, or the world’s greatest pianist except she couldn’t afford lessons.
“Rob Peace” is a moving story of an extraordinary young man from New Jersey who, despite an exceptional brain and heroic drive, became just another statistic in the annals of drug crimes. This biopic — written, directed and co-starring Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor — will ensure that his tragic story is not forgotten.
Rob is played by Jay Will as a young man, and by Jelani Dacres and Chance K. Smith at ages 7 and 13, respectively. He grew up in the crime-ridden section of East Orange, N.J., the son of a small-time drug dealer, Robert “Skeet” Douglas (Ejiofor).
Young Rob is quickly identified as a gifted student, and his mom, Jackie (Mary J. Blige), works three jobs to ensure he can attend the St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark. His parents were separated early on in Rob’s life, but he still carries an abiding affection for his pops, who knows the power of sinking deep roots in the community.
“I just don't believe you can ever be facing the wrong direction if you're standing by your people,” Skeet says.
Early on in the story Skeet is arrested for the double murder of two young women living in his apartment building, a crime he insists he did not commit. Because he can’t afford a lawyer, he is held in prison for three years before even getting a trial, where he is found guilty despite an exculpatory witness who had died during the long wait.
This becomes the defining event of Rob’s life, and in some ways he spends the rest of his days chasing the ghost of his father’s disgrace. His mother even has him change his name from Skeet Jr. to Rob Peace to help him separate from the sordid past.
While still in high school, Rob manages to get his father released from prison based on the discrepancy of his treatment by the justice system, prodding Skeet to dub his son “the cavalry.” But their reunification is short-lived as the state files an appeal and the elder is sent back behind bars while awaiting a new trial.
Rob is accepted into Yale University, where he studies biology and chemistry, quickly distinguishing himself from even other elite students. Despite work-study jobs, playing on the water polo team and a research gig, he continues to ply his efforts on his father’s legal case. Mare Winningham plays a professor who takes Rob under her wing, with thoughts of a PhD and even opening his own lab one day.
He presents the face of a coolly charismatic dude, the kind of guy who can bring disparate groups together — like when he gathers his trust fund water polo teammates to toke weed with the brown and black students. But Rob is secretly ashamed of his father’s status as a convicted murderer, hiding it for a long time even from his best friend/roommate, Oswaldo (Juan Castano), and girlfriend, Naya (Camila Cabello).
To pay for his dad’s court case, and later some other unforeseen challenges, Rob makes a shameful choice. He stars formulating and selling his own strain of marijuana, correctly surmising that as long as the trade also includes large swaths of the white students, the Yalies will look the other way.
It’s sort of a microcosm version of “Breaking Bad,” the celebrated TV show about a high-school chemistry teacher who devolves into a loathsome drug kingpin. Except in Rob’s case, he never loses his innate goodness and sense of altruism. Despite his bad choices, they’re all made to benefit others. Rob seemingly doesn’t have a self-serving bone in his body.
Later, post-college, Rob will take on new challenges back in his Jersey hometown — but will again be tempted to walk in his father’s footsteps when hard times ensue.
Will is solid and relatable as adult Ray, and the younger actors also make a strong impression in their turns. Ray is in outwardly-directed guy, the sort of person who sets a lot of goals and pushes himself, but forgets to take pride in his accomplishments and give himself grace on the rare occasions his aspirations fall short.
Ejiofor’s script is based on the book, “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace” by Jeff Hobbs, and between that title and the film’s promotional materials there’s no spoiling the fact that Rob meets a terrible end. Ejiofor captures the painful dichotomy of this very admirable young man who nonetheless keeps turning down a dark path.
The film’s tone and dialogue sometimes wanders into the maudlin, particularly in the scenes between Rob and his mother. Ejiofor stands out in his smallish part, an empathetic portrait of a decent man understandably consumed by rage because of his plight. When Rob, even after all his efforts to free his dad, expesses momentary doubt about his innocence, we can see the man’s heart break wide open.
“Rob Peace” is stirring because of the loss of this precious life, so promising and so compromised. I’ve no doubt if he was raised in a more stable and supportive place, Rob would’ve wound up as a renowned scientist or leader of a community change movement. We’ll never know for sure, but this film is a tribute to remember what could have been, so the next special kid is raised up instead of dragged down.