American Fiction (2024) Movie: Won 5 Oscar Nominations

American Fiction movie is a delightful satire that has won 5 Oscar nominations in 2024. This comedy film delves into the cultural stereotyping of the Black community in the USA.

This film is based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett. The American Writer Everett is a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California.

Trailer of the American Fiction (2024) Movie

Synopsis [official] of the American Fiction (2024) Movie

It is Cord Jefferson’s hilarious directorial debut, confronting our (American/USA) culture’s obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes.

Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, Monk uses a pen name to write an outlandish “Black” book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.

Rating of the American Fiction (2024) Movie

Spoiler Free Review of the American Fiction (2024) Movie

Introduction

Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut is this intelligent but sarcastic commentary film about the dominant social and cultural life in the United States of America. So, as its story goes, the author “Monk”, disillusioned with the establishment’s exploitation of “Black” (African American) entertainment, adopts a pseudonym to pen a novel that thrusts him into the very core of the hypocrisy and insanity he openly despises.

We loved its smart and intelligent script

We think that there are two layers to its astute and bold script.

Agnes Ellison: I'm happy you're not white.
Coraline: Me too.

The first layer focuses on the complex rapport among the members of the “Ellison” the “Black Family” in America. The three Ellison siblings Jeffrey Wright (Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison), Tracee Ellis Ross (Lisa Ellison), and Sterling K. Brown (Clifford Ellison) are high achievers – the Writer and the Doctors. The “Ellisons” – they do not represent how the predominantly “White Community” thinks about the “Black” lives in general. Not only the “Ellisons” are suave, well-educated, etc. but also broad-minded and upwardly mobile.

We are sorry for sharing (spoilers) a bunch of lines from the film here, to give you an idea and a peek into the comedy dialogues in the film. The way this film takes a potshot is by using terms such as “White”, “Black”, “Representation”, “Diversity”, etc. in its script in a hilariously funny way. We are also sharing another amusing dialogue that focuses on the stereotyping of Blacks. The sheer absurdity of the “F**k” book is used as the smart bomb to destroy the world of double-speak, contradiction, double standards, stereotyping, etc.

Arthur: White people think they want the truth, but they don't. They want to feel absolved.

The second layer focuses on the broader understanding and complicated relationship between the “Black” community and the “White” community of the United States. Not to forget how the influential “White” folks (here a book publisher/editor) visualize the “Black” creative people (here a new author) and the subject matter or their art contents.

Paula Baderman:  Hello?
Arthur: Hello Paula!
Paula Baderman: Arthur! So wonderful to hear from you. I hope you are with the man of the hour.
Arthur: I am indeed. He's right here next to me.
Paula Baderman: Mr. Leigh?
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: [Speaking as the author "Stagg R. Leigh"] Uh, yeah, this is he.
Paula Baderman: [Surprised] Oh, really?
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: Uh, uh, yeah, dammit!
Paula Baderman: [Relieved] Right.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: Mother [expletive]
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: !!!!
Paula Baderman: Right, okay, um, yeah, I was a little confused at first.

Not so long ago, we saw actress Miriam Shor (Paula Baderman) play a similar role as the book editor on the hit comedy Younger (2015-2021) series.

The top-class acting by its ensemble actors

It is interesting to note that despite the abundance of jazz tracks featured on the movie soundtrack, none of them are performed by Thelonious Monk. The musician after whom the protagonist Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison is affectionately named. We liked the soft and non-intrusive background music in this film, too. The one-liners in the film are thoughtful too.

Sintara Golden: Potential is what people see when what's in front of them isn't good enough.

Its ensemble cast is led by the subtle yet classy actor Jeffrey Wright. And we loved his act in the film. We also liked the performances by other actors, viz., Sterling K. Brown, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Issa Rae, Miriam Shor, etc. Overall, they all played their part very well.

The conclusion

This satirical comical film uses the “F**k” book smartly. It uses it to take an inventive swipe at the society at large. Namely, the said book hits its targets – the academia, the publishers, the media, and the readers. Now, we wait to see all Oscar awards it will pick up. We think it will be for its script, perhaps. Lastly, we humbly think this is a delicious comedy that must be tasted and devoured at least once.

Key Details about the American Fiction (2024) Movie

Poster of the American Fiction (2024) Movie

Awards – Winners/Nominees – American Fiction (2024) Movie

It is the first film from Orion Pictures and MGM to win the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Featured Image & Poster of the American Fiction (2024) Film | Pics. Credit: MGM