IMDb plot summary: A novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.
Directed by Cord Jefferson. Starring Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, and John Ortiz.
American Fiction follows an African-American writer and professor who is frustrated that nobody wants his new book because it isn't "Black" enough. On a whim, he churns out a novel poking fun at all of the tropes he sees that white audiences want out of their Black books, and, to his chagrin, it's a massive success. This film for me strikes the absolute perfect balance between comedy and drama, being both laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely heartbreaking. And Jeffrey Wright is, of course, so good in this, bringing out the frustration of his character and how it relates to his work and his family and his romantic relationships. While I'm still mulling over how all the narrative pieces fit together, I had a great time watching the film. It escalates both the serious and not-so-serious stakes at just the right pace to keep me hooked the whole way through. Definitely a good watch and I look forward to revisiting it again sometime.
How it entered my Flickchart:
American Fiction > Captain Phillips
American Fiction > The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
American Fiction > The White Tiger
American Fiction < Dead Ringers
American Fiction > The Gods Must Be Crazy
American Fiction < Petite Maman
American Fiction < It Follows
American Fiction < Nosferatu
American Fiction < The Producers (2005)
American Fiction > Adaptation
American Fiction < Nativity!
American Fiction < Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Final spot: #359 out of 3885, or 91%.
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