Pan and Slam

American Fiction

R 1h 57m

• Director
  • Cord Jefferson
• Stars
  • Jeffrey Wright
  • Tracee Ellis Ross
  • John Ortiz

by Jason Koenigsberg

American Fiction is a scorching satire. A very funny look at African-American stereotypes in a post-woke America. It is also very much a movie of this moment, one that feels particularly relevant right now and could not have been made a few years ago and might serve as a time capsule of how we look at race in this relatively new decade even though these literary and movie stereotypes are decades old. The opening shot is of Jeffrey Wright, his face front and center on the screen with a white background behind him. As he is speaking the camera pans over to reveal he is teaching a college class and one of the students is taking issue with a word he wrote on the whiteboard. She is offended that he wrote the N-word even though it is paramount to the literature they are reading. He tries to explain that he is the one who should be hurt by the word but the white female student does not back down and feels that word has no place in academia and then she storms out of the classroom. In that opening scene writer/director Cord Jefferson really hits the nail on the head of how race relations look in 2023 America. Jeffrey Wright plays Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison, a frustrated novelist and college professor who is fed up with the way publishing companies and movie studios profit from black stereotypes and only wanting stories from black authors that deal with poverty, gang violence, drugs, and urban decay. His life involves none of that as he comes from an educated and successful family of doctors from Boston. Hence why he is having trouble getting his latest book published. So instead the plot unfolds with Monk writing a novel under a pseudonym that is nothing but the negative stereotypes he loathes and audiences, mainly white audiences, love. Of course, his joke of a book with negative black tropes turns out to be a massive success and he is propelled into the heart of the hypocrisy he claims to disdain.

American Fiction is also a terrific family story and a comedy of monumental proportions. People often use the term light-hearted comedy, well this movie is a heavy-hearted comedy because it manages to find and sustain humor while dealing with themes of death, divorce, suicide, alcoholism, racism, dementia, and homosexuality. At its core American Fiction is one of the best movies of recent years to tackle family dysfunction. Certain family members deal with guilt and others never receive the acceptance that they desired. This works because of the performances. The movie is centered by an outstanding leading turn from the always reliable and often underrated Jeffrey Wright but the supporting cast share the weight and all the actors carry their scenes well. The audience will buy into American Fiction because of the performances that create characters we want to spent time with and get to know. They will enjoy every minute they spend time on the screen and make American Fiction come to life the way the best movies about families gently tug at our emotions. Sterling K. Brown in particular as his brother and John Ortiz as his agent are two of the most memorable roles that get a chance to shine in their scenes but all of the other actors deserve credit for creating this family and making them so believable. Also commendable is the jazzy piano based score by Laura Karpman which eloquently compliment the visuals without ever overpowering the dialogue or cinematography.

A lot of this movie is about family drama that audiences can relate to but it is just as much about how much people perpetuate negative stereotypes. People try to fight stereotypes in the wrong ways like the offended student who expressed her anger with a word but the negative stereotypes still permeate without the use of troublesome words. It is what sells and American Fiction is about the expectations race puts on people. Monk cannot just write a book about family or anything unless it deals with race because he is black. This is a privilege white authors are not burdened with but one that they probably never thought much about. Monk’s agent explains to him “white people think they want the truth, but they don’t, they just want to be absolved”, and he is accurate. Think about how many Oscar bait movies with African-American leads are usually categorized as ‘white guilt’ movies. They want movies and books about the black experience that pander to them and make them feel good about themselves. He also explained to Monk while using Johnny Walker Red, Black, and Blue Label scotch that most people just want easy to digest crap like the red, but Monk is talented enough he can make money off the pandering crap like the red and still publish the blue that not as many people will buy, appreciate, or understand. The ending of American Fiction is the only part that left a little bit to be desired but it is intentional. The director leaves the audience not knowing how much of what they saw during the final scenes of the film are real with different multiple endings. It is noble that he does not give the viewer a satisfying conclusion when there are no satisfying conclusions to racial stereotypes and family dysfunction in real life. Instead the ending felt like an unlikely homage to the end of Get Shorty (1995). Regardless, American Fiction is a rare movie that touches on almost every emotion as you watch it and care for these characters. It is sometimes sad, sometimes very funny, and always poignant.