American Fiction Featured, Reviews Film Threat
American Fiction Cord Jefferson hits a nerve (and hates it himself) in American Fiction, a satirical drama based on Percival Everett’s novel Erasure. Jeffrey Wright plays Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a struggling author whose books are relegated to the African American studies section of bookstores. An energetic monk points out, “The blackest thing in this book is the ink!” Monk is under financial pressure from literary agent Arthur (John Ortiz) to create a hit novel. But unlike Cintara Golden’s (Issa Rae) recent popular urban novel, We’re Live in the Ghetto, Monk doesn’t allow himself to stoop to this level and insult himself and black America. I’m refusing.
Monk takes a leave of absence from the university where he teaches and returns home to see his sister Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross) and mother Agnes (Leslie Uggams). During her trip, Lisa dies of a heart attack and Agnes is in the early stages of her dementia, so Monk has to take her to a care home. He can’t afford it, and his younger brother Clifford (Sterling K. Brown), a plastic surgeon, also recently went through a divorce after coming out as gay. As a joke, Monk writes what appears to be a dark urban novel called “My Pafology” under the pseudonym Stagger Lee, an escaped convict. To his shock and disbelief, the book soon received a big offer and a major Hollywood producer wanted to make it into a movie. Monk is at a loss and his moral fiber is preventing him from moving forward…despite his empty bank account saying otherwise.
Despite my obligations, I can’t express how much I love American fiction. I’ve always had a problem with Hollywood’s current perception of race, not only towards the black community, but my own community as well. American Fiction brings to light the idea that only certain stories can be told about minority communities to be lauded as Oscar contenders or even to make it to the theaters at all. Asian stories are more than just immigrant stories, racism, and white oppression. Black stories are more than slavery, civil rights, and street crimes. In a recent interview, Cord Jefferson spoke of the pillars of the Black experience spanning from slavery to the presidency and how there are thousands of stories in between. American Fiction is a satire that hits this point home, spotlighting white liberal fascination with black and minority oppression.
Yes, the film is political, but at its core it’s a family story. The Ellison family is a mess. Monk was the family’s favorite son, so Lisa and Clifford had to compete for his affection. Monk then almost abandoned his family, leaving behind a brother who was very emotionally and psychologically scarred. Monk’s return as a barely successful writer stirs up the shit of an old family in a time of loss. The cast of American Fiction is amazing. There was no one else to play Monk but Jeffrey Wright. He is a politician and brings harshness to the studying but vulnerable monk. Sterling K. Brown shines as the emotional support for Wright’s ruthless Yang. Also worth mentioning is Erica Alexander, who plays Monk’s girlfriend Coraline and nanny Lorraine (Myra Lucretia Taylor). Their supporting characters define the dysfunctional Ellison family.
Yes, the film is political, but at its core it’s a family story. The Ellison family is a mess. Monk was the family’s favorite son, so Lisa and Clifford had to compete for his affection. Monk then almost abandoned his family, leaving behind a brother who was very emotionally and psychologically scarred. Monk’s return as a barely successful writer stirs up the shit of an old family in a time of loss. The cast of American Fiction is amazing. There was no one else to play Monk but Jeffrey Wright. He is a politician and brings harshness to the studying but vulnerable monk. Sterling K. Brown shines as the emotional support for Wright’s ruthless Yang. Also worth mentioning is Erica Alexander, who plays Monk’s girlfriend Coraline and nanny Lorraine (Myra Lucretia Taylor). Their supporting characters define the dysfunctional Ellison family.All props go to writer/director Cord Jefferson for a great script and perfect direction from this great cast. American Fiction has a lot to say about racial issues in America today, and by bringing out into the open questions people have been asking for decades silently, American Fiction will resonate and hopefully bring together a divided world through its insightful humor.Â