January 29, 2024 · Watch the official trailer
Is something lesser if it is popular? Tainted if it caters to the masses rather than says something new and interesting of value?
These are the thoughts that permeate the mind of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in an Oscar-nominated new dramedy that has a lot to say as both satire and real-life example of some of the critiques it poses.
Based on the 2001 novel “Erasure” by Percival Everett, “American Fiction” follows a tired, frustrated author and professor who cannot break into the major book market and pens an outlandish and stereotyping “black book” to satirize the industry only to find it widely acclaimed and celebrated.
The film, which won the audience award at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, is a work of love and dedication for writer/director Cord Jefferson, who makes his feature film debut after a strong writing career both in journalism and on television, working on shows like “Succession,” “Master of None” and “Watchmen.”
At its core, “American Fiction” is about two things, the language of race and the language of family and how those two things intersect through triumph and tragedy to reshape a bitter man’s life.
Veteran character actor Jeffrey Wright is finally given the opportunity to shine as the lead of a film and knocks it out of the park as his Monk is passionate, bitter, introspective, and somber all at the same time. The nuances that Wright is able to wear on his face both in poignant scenes and comedic ones truly sets him apart and makes him more than worthy of his Oscar nomination for best actor.
The almost deadpan, dry humor of Jefferson’s screenplay works incredibly well with Wright’s cadence as Jefferson reflects in interviews that when reading “Erasure,” he began to hear Monk speaking in Wright’s voice even before conceiving the novel as a feature film. There is an effortless fluidity to the dialogue that allows audiences to naturally engage with the comedy rather than being set up for punchline over and over again.
Casting Wright as Monk gives the character a depth and humanity that keeps him curmudgeonly and somewhat relatable as opposed to a complete cynical egotist that viewers might dismiss outright and sour on the film as a whole.
To that effect, the brotherly chemistry between Wright and Sterling K. Brown is the glue that holds the comedy and drama together as Jefferson attempts to balance the mixed tones of his film.
While many actors would take Cliff, a recently divorced man forced out of the closet, and turn him into a caricature, Brown wonderfully showcases the inner humanity behind the turmoil with a warm heart and soft tone that offset the more brash comedic elements to his character and sets up the needed moment of catharsis for Monk in the film’s third act.
The supporting cast also does exceptional work in largely thankless roles, especially Issa Rae as an author whose work Monk despises, Leslie Uggams as the family matriarch and John Ortiz as Monk’s wry agent.
Without question, the best parts of “American Fiction” are the biting satire that Jefferson and Wright use to take on the publishing industry and the popularity of “blackness.” Perhaps the most damning scene is also the funniest of the entire year as Monk attempts to hijack a marketing meeting by insisting that the title of his book be changed midstream from “My Pafology” to an expletive.
“American Fiction” is nominated for five Academy Awards this spring, including best picture, acting nods for both Wright and Brown, best adapted screenplay, and somewhat surprisingly, best original score. Though this film is a strong debut effort for Jefferson as both writer and director, it’s unlikely that it will take home any prizes due to the overall strength of the nominees this year.
Despite this, Jefferson’s biting, funny, and poignant dramedy is a wonderfully touching film that will appeal to a wide enough audience that ardent cinephiles should take a chance seeking out “American Fiction” in theaters rather than waiting for its eventual release on a streaming service at home.
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