by Jeffery Rahming, Contributing Writer
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “Black story”? You might think of a show like The Wire, or of Tyler Perry movies. But suffice it to say, whatever pops into your head first will probably make you cringe just a little, not because it was bad, but because what we consider usually consider to be “Black stories” are generally mired in stereotypes and generalizations that in any other context would be regarded as harmful. Even if it was a true story that came to mind, it likely involved racism or struggling with poverty. Yes, it’s true that these are common in the African-American experience, but why are struggles the only story that seems to be lauded by society? American Fiction takes on the not-so-easy task of examining this question.
Our protagonist, Thelonius “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), is a lonely, misanthropic English professor who can’t get any of his books to sell. Given his family’s affluent background, he struggles to deal with his lack of success. His resentment only grows when he sees another Black author, Sinatra Golding (Issa Rae), getting critical acclaim for a novel called We’s Lives in Da Ghetto, a book that is as ridiculous as its title implies. In frustration, he writes a spiteful parody entitled My Pafaology and sends it off to publishers. To his dismay, the publishers take this fake book seriously and now want to publish his parody as a serious and “realistic” novel about street life, which he knows nothing about. When tragedy strikes his family, Monk decides he can use his new book to help support his family financially through the tough times, even if it means pretending to be someone he’s not.
While marketed as a comedy, American Fiction is more of a family drama, with the book storyline happening in the margins. Very few movies focus on an upper-middle-class perspective with African-American characters. While watching it, I considered that it may be the first movie with a Black cast to take place primarily at a beach house, which then made me think about the ridiculous number of indie films with white leads that take place at beach houses. In fact, I watched one of those types of movies just hours before this one. American Fiction itself is a reflection of Monk’s predicament. As far as indie family dramas go, it’s a pretty by-the-book story, just not one where you typically see Black protagonists. What’s great is when it is time to be funny, it’s absolutely hilarious. It’s impressive how the film can jerk you from tragic, grounded drama to its ridiculous literary plot, and you never get emotional whiplash. Similar to real life, the funniest moments are beside some of the most unfortunate. Sometimes, they’re even one and the same.
Throughout the film, Monk wrestles with his identity and responsibilities to his family. He isn’t very good at balancing either, but then again, who is? Wright, who has been relegated to supporting roles for most of his career, shines as the mopey main character. His performance is one of those natural ones that draws you in because of how authentic it feels. Beside him is a crew of incredibly talented supporting cast, the MVP of which is Sterling K. Brown. He steals the show and has a character arc as engaging and interesting as Monk, as he struggles with being his family’s black sheep due to his sexuality.
American Fiction questions what type of “Black stories” we give a platform and why. It’s a debate worth having, but the film has no interest in solving it. Despite what modern discourse might suggest, movies aren’t meant to be guidebooks to solve social issues, but they do a great job of shining a light on them, as this one does. There’s no easy resolution for the hardships of life or the social biases that keep us trapped in a box. The best you can do with both is try to keep moving. American Fiction is at once thought-provoking, inspiring, and hilarious. It makes for a perfect indie movie to watch this holiday season.
Rating: Liked It
American Fiction is currently playing in theaters
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