'American Fiction' satirizes hypocrisy.

Director Cord Jefferson humorously portrays racism in the American creative industry in his 2024 Oscar-nominated film "American Fiction".

* This article contains spoilers for the movie

Trailer for 'American Fiction'

Trailer for "American Fiction". The film received six nominations for the 2024 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Original Score. Video : MGM Studios

"I think right now we need to listen to the voices of Black people," a white jury member said during a debate about which work deserved the literary award for American Fiction , Cord Jefferson's debut film. Ironically, this same person and two other white jury members had just dismissed the opinions of two Black writers in the preceding scene.

In the above sequence, the director skillfully satirizes racial issues in a humorous way, while also criticizing hypocrisy in the art world . This is also the theme the filmmaker wants to convey throughout the work.

American Fiction is based on the novel Erasure (2001) by Percival Everett. The story centers around Thelonious Monk Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a university professor and writer, struggling to launch his first book, which publishers criticize for not adequately portraying Black people.

In his despair, Monk adopted a different pseudonym and sent his agent a manuscript about literary stereotypes in African American literature. Unexpectedly, the work became a bestseller and he was offered a film adaptation. The author, meanwhile, found himself caught in the consequences of his actions.

The film depicts the life of a writer to show the consequences of the commercialization of art. At school, Monk is unpopular with his colleagues and students, and at home, worries about money and the cost of caring for his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, gradually drain his energy.

Poster for "American Fiction". In February, the film won the Best Adapted Screenplay category at the 2024 BAFTA Awards. It also won Best Screenplay and Best Actor for Jeffrey Wright at the Independent Spirit Awards. Photo: MGM Studios

When Monk saw the novel We's Lives in da Ghetto by Sintara Golden (played by Issa Rae) – about Black people living in the slums – become a sensation, he felt compelled to imitate Golden's writing style for his new project. In the book, Monk portrays a character with black skin, a gangster, and always carrying a gun. After the novel became popular, Monk encountered a series of hilarious and awkward situations, such as having to "impersonate" author Stagg R. Leigh because he lied about being a wanted fugitive.

The Guardian praised the film for its intriguing ability to transform absurd dialogues into endless debates. According to the Guardian , beyond the cast's performances, what makes American Fiction worth watching is the filmmaker's emphasis on dialogue, listening to stories from different perspectives, even those considered meaningless by others.

When the judges discussed how to evaluate candidates through reading, some suggested reading page by page, while others argued that only 100 pages were needed to assess overall quality. One person stated, "The scoring system is ridiculous. Comparing works to award prizes isn't subjective, it's absurd." The discussion only ended when the Sintara Golden Award suggested that the literary prize was an opportunity to highlight underrated books, giving authors a chance to advance their careers.

Beyond raising the issue of racial discrimination, the film satirizes the American publishing industry, showing the pressure on creative artists when faced with a pragmatic lifestyle. According to Variety , like Spike Lee's Bamboozled , American Fiction reveals the dark side of the creative industry, where some Black people want to create controversial works to attract the attention of white leaders.

Jefferson's storytelling demonstrates respect for the characters, persuasive even in moments without dialogue. In the scene where Monk attends Sintara Golden's reading, he stares at Golden, pondering the clichés he's just heard, before his view is obscured by a white woman.

Empire magazine commented that the simple scene resonated with many viewers, who empathized with the character's anxiety as Monk feared being lost in the world. Through the main character, director Jefferson depicted how people are stifled by social prejudices and forced to conform to rules.

While under immense work pressure, Monk Ellison (played by Jeffrey Wright) finds love. Photo: MGM Studios

The film also features humorous scenes, showcasing the detailed research into the lives of writers, such as Monk's name tag at a sparsely attended book festival being misspelled. Or Monk's attempt to place his debut book on the "Novels" shelf at a bookstore, only to have it placed under "African American Studies." "These books have nothing to do with African American studies; they're just literature. The blackest thing on the book is the ink," Monk explains.

Besides resolving the issues stemming from the novel, the director incorporates glimpses into the Monk family, delving into the protagonist's crisis. At this point, the film's pace slows down compared to the opening scenes, while also giving Jeffrey Wright more room to showcase his acting skills.

From this point on, Monk is no longer the usually grumpy and irritable character, but becomes vulnerable as she has to maintain her position as the family's pillar. Wright and Tracee Ellis Ross (as Lisa, Monk's sister) bring a natural chemistry through their dialogue. In the scene where Lisa suddenly dies, Wright portrays grief through her eyes and gestures.

Meanwhile, Sterling K. Brown plays Cliff, Monk's brother. Cliff divorces his wife after she catches him having an affair with another man. From then on, the character frequently uses drugs and lives a lavish lifestyle. After many hardships, Cliff feels unable to live true to himself, trying to suppress his real self in order to be accepted by society.

Actor Sterling K. Brown in the film "American Fiction". Photo: MGM Studios

The filmmaker also highlights the conflict between Monk and his younger brother by portraying Cliff as gay, confined to a strict household, while Monk is seen as a version of their deceased father, indifferent and never bothering to ask about anyone's well-being. Peyton Robinson of Roger Ebert magazine believes Brown delivers a passionate performance as Monk's rebellious younger brother.

In an interview with Esquire , director Cord Jefferson said: "I wanted to show that a career can't stop when your personal life is in trouble, and vice versa. Everything can happen at the same time, and you have to deal with it."

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