OSCARS 2024: American Fiction (2023)

It's not nice to point these things out but... If you make a drama about black people experiencing something miserable, with the right degree of prestige, you'll probably get some award season attention. Films like “12 Years a Slave,” “Precious,” and “Get Out” definitely reside on different points of a spectrum – and not to dismiss any of those films, a few of which are very good – but the similarities are hard to avoid. People far smarter and more qualified than me have written about this, digging into the concept of “black trauma porn” made for an audience of guilty white people. Now, somewhat inevitably, here comes a motion picture that takes on this topic directly. “American Fiction” is based on a novel by noted African-American satirist, Percival Everett. It is the feature directorial debut of Cord Jefferson, who came to fame as a writer on “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.” Perhaps the ultimate irony of “American Fiction” is that it has also became an awards contender, being nominated for five Oscars. 

Thelonious “Monk” Ellison is a black academic and writer whose books are critically acclaimed by the few people who read them. His publisher isn't interested in his latest manuscript. His demeanor with his students has him put on break from his teaching job. His sister dies of a heart attack, his mother is slipping into senility, and his brother just came out as gay. Monk is further dismayed to see the success of a novel called “We's Lives in a Ghetto,” which he considers an example of pop culture that boils the black experience down to a miserable slog. In retaliation, he writes a similarly pandering book that invokes every stereotype that he can think of. Much to Monk's shock, the publisher loves the book. He invents the persona of “Stagg R. Leigh,” an ex-con and fugitive from the law, to reluctantly publicizes the novel. Entitled “Fuck,” the book becomes a runaway hit and even gets a movie deal. As the novel comes under consideration for the critic's award circle Thelonious is a part of, he finds his ruse has spiraled out of his control.

As a pasty white guy, my opinion on “American Fiction” is the last one that matters. Monk's outrage lies in a largely still white-driven pop culture's inability to engage with black identity unless it's through the lens of preconceived notions. Black stories, if they are to gain attention from the mainstream, must be about criminals, drug addicts, and victims of racial violence. “American Fiction” outright states this premise yet the commitment the film shows to its ideas are still fresh and funny. No matter how far Monk pushes the parody of thug life he's created, the agents and producers around him still happily eat it up. The mockery in his writing goes totally over the heads of white tastemakers. “American Fiction” gets right into the guts of this idea too, in a brilliant sequence that shows Monk's characters springing to life as he writes them. The film's exaggeration of these tropes isn't even really over-the-top. The brilliance of “American Fiction” is that you can see its story-within-a-story being exactly this well received in real life. 

If “American Fiction” did nothing more than criticize and mock the clichés of black-centered awards bait, its jokes would probably run dry quickly. Luckily, the film has a lot more on its mind. The criticism directed towards ghetto narratives is certainly sincere, especially in moments when Monk sees a TV commercial celebrating “black stories.” However, a fair share of the script's ire is reserved for its protagonist too. As “Fuck” becomes a towering success, and Monk ends up in the same circle as the author he's responding to, his own pretensions and hang-ups are examined. Just because he hates these stories, who is he to dismay their value to some black readers out there? Maybe he's a conceited asshole, projecting his own insecurities on cultural trends. 

I have no doubt that “American Fiction's” commentary on race and the perception of the black community by the media will be its hottest talking point. I found the film compelling on other levels too. As Monk's mother slips more into senility, there's an interesting parallel to his own journey. Thrust into the role of “Stagg,” he sees the creation he made get wildly out of control, his own identity as an author and a man being eclipsed by an exaggerated parody. His mother, meanwhile, is quickly loosing her own identity as her mind gets away from her. She becomes distant, mean, unable to tell her children apart, and saying the worst things that come into her mind. All Monk can really do is watch, much the same way his tossed-off joke gets swept up on a tide of hype that he can only do so much to stop.

It's easy to follow “American Fiction” on the various paths it winds through, largely because it has such a fantastic cast. Jeffrey Wright, so rarely given lead roles, has the perfect balance as Monk goes through this emotional journey. He remains charming even when the character's less flattering attributes, his ego and quickness to judge others, come to the surface. He has wonderful chemistry with Erika Alexander, during the film's gently assembled romantic scenes. Sterling K. Brown as Cliff, the brother rediscovering himself, is central to several of the film's most touching moments. Lastly, Keith David is fantastically utilized during his brief cameo, making the audience almost wish they could actually watch the overheated melodrama at the film's story.

That sequence is also one of the better depictions of the creative process that I've seen in a film recently. The way the characters question their own dialogue as Monk figures out his manuscript is really delightful. The film is frequently hilarious, right down to an especially meta conclusion, without loosing any of the satirical bite. The film deftly balances these social observations and sharp comedy with a quietly touching tale of familial reconnection. This is definitely one of the bigger surprises of this year's Oscar season for me. I really look forward to whatever Cord Jefferson cooks up next. [9/10]