American Fiction
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Cord Jefferson
Screenplay by	Cord Jefferson
Based on	Erasure by Percival Everett
Produced by	Ben LeClair Nikos Karamigios Cord Jefferson Jermaine Johnson
Starring	Jeffrey Wright Tracee Ellis Ross John Ortiz Erika Alexander Leslie Uggams Adam Brody Issa Rae Sterling K. Brown
Cinematography	Cristina Dunlap
Edited by	Hilda Rasula
Music by	Laura Karpman
Production companies	Orion Pictures MRC Film T-Street Productions Almost Infinite 3 Arts Entertainment
Distributed by	Amazon MGM Studios
Release dates	September 8, 2023 (2023-09-08) (TIFF) December 15, 2023 (2023-12-15) (United States)
Running time	117 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$3.3 million[2][3]

American Fiction is a 2023 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cord Jefferson, in his feature directorial debut. Based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett, the film follows a frustrated novelist-professor who writes an outlandishly stereotypical "black" book as satire, only for the book to be published to high sales and praise. It stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, and Keith David. Everett is an executive producer on the film alongside Rian Johnson.

American Fiction premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023, where it won the People's Choice Award. It received a limited theatrical release by Amazon MGM Studios on December 15, 2023, with an expansion on December 22, 2023. It received positive reviews from critics, with Wright's performance earning widespread acclaim.

It was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute and has received numerous accolades, including two nominations at the 81st Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and five nominations at the 29th Critics' Choice Awards, including Best Picture.

Plot

Thelonious "Monk" Ellison is a black writer and professor in Los Angeles. His novels receive academic praise, but sell poorly, and publishers reject his most recent manuscript for not being "black enough". His university places him on temporary leave due to his brashness with students over racial issues. They encouraged him to attend a literary seminar – and spend time with his family – in his hometown, Boston. At the seminar, Monk encounters author Sintara Golden, whose novel We's Lives In Da Ghetto is a bestseller; he believes she panders to black dysfunctional stereotypes.

In Boston, Monk reunites with his elderly mother Agnes and sister Lisa, a doctor. He enters a relationship with Coraline, a lawyer living across the street. One day, while dining with Monk, Lisa suffers a heart attack, and dies later in the hospital.

Monk's estranged brother, Cliff, returns for Lisa's funeral. Cliff is divorced after his wife discovered him sleeping with a man; he now practices casual sex and heavy drug use. As the family mourns, Monk and Cliff worry about Agnes's decline because of Alzheimer's disease.

Overcome with personal and professional frustration, Monk impulsively writes a manuscript titled My Pafology, a send-up of the expectations black writers are burdened with, with a melodramatic plot involving deadbeat dads, gang violence, and drugs. After submitting it to publishers, Monk unexpectedly receives a $750,000 offer for pre-emptive rights. Requiring money for his mother's care, Monk agrees to publish the book under a pseudonym, "Stagg R. Leigh". His agent Arthur convinces him to adopt the persona of a violent convicted felon when meeting with executives.

Acting as "Stagg", Monk lands a movie deal with successful film producer Wiley. However, following publishing executives' insulting comments, Monk attempts to sabotage the deal by demanding the title be changed to Fuck. Unexpectedly, the executives agree. Meanwhile, Monk is invited to be a judge for the New England Book Association's annual Literary Award in a "diversity push", and reluctantly agrees. One fellow judge is Sintara, who Monk is surprised to learn shares many of his views; the other three are white.

Monk's relationship with Coraline develops; he moves Agnes into an assisted-living facility, but she adapts poorly. His family's longtime housekeeper Lorraine asks him to walk her down the aisle at her wedding. Cliff briefly returns to Boston but leaves following Agnes's homophobic comments. Amidst this turmoil, Fuck debuts as a #1 bestseller.

The public, including Coraline and Cliff, remain unaware that "Stagg" is Monk, and the FBI contacts the publishing company for information, believing Stagg is a fugitive as he claimed in interviews. Monk is offended when he finds Coraline enjoyed reading Fuck, and they argue heatedly and break up.

On Lorraine's wedding day, Monk finds Cliff living in Agnes's vacant beach house with two other men. Cliff never left Boston, and has been partying and doing drugs. But Lorraine is happy to have him attend the wedding, embracing him as family. At the reception, Monk and Cliff discuss the legacy of their father after his suicide, and Cliff encourages Monk to reconcile with Coraline.

Monk's publishing company submits Fuck for the Literary Award, forcing him to judge his own novel. The panel's white judges rave over Fuck, though Monk is surprised when Sintara calls the book "pandering". Monk agrees, but later questions her own book, calling it "trauma porn", inauthentic to Sintara's middle-class background. Sintara counters that she extensively researched her book and conducted interviews with people usually without a voice. She says she is simply "giving the market what it wants". She adds that it isn't her fault if white audiences form stereotypes based on one book.

At the award ceremony, Fuck receives the grand prize; Monk walks to the stage to accept, and to reveal that he is "Stagg". The screen cuts to black: the story is revealed as Monk's screenplay based on his experiences, written to submit to Wiley's production company as an alternative to the Fuck film adaptation. But Monk has not revealed his true identity to the public and is still separated from Coraline. Wiley likes the screenplay but encourages Monk to write a different ending.

The film portrays different endings, including one where police show up to the ceremony to arrest the 'fugitive' Stagg, mistake the award for a gun and fatally shoot Monk on stage. Wiley – also busy making the "blaxploitation" film Plantation Annihilation – loves this version, and the film moves into production. Monk drives away from the studio with Cliff, and is later shown with Coraline.

Cast

• Top row: (left to right) Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz and Erika Alexander
• Bottom row: (left to right) Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown

Production

On November 10, 2022, it was reported that Jeffrey Wright was cast in the untitled film, based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett. Cord Jefferson would adapt the novel and direct in his directorial debut.^[4][5] T-Street Productions and MRC Film are producing the film. On December 2, 2022, it was announced that Tracee Ellis Ross will also star in film with Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Sterling K. Brown, Myra Lucretia Taylor, John Ortiz, Issa Rae, and Adam Brody also cast.^[6] The film wrapped production in Boston in early December, with COVID-19 safety precautions used on set.^[7] That month, MGM's Orion Pictures acquired the film's worldwide distribution rights.^[8] In July 2023, with the announcement of its world premiere, the film's title was reported to be American Fiction.^[9] It is the first film from Orion to be distributed through Amazon MGM Studios Distribution.^[10]

Release

American Fiction premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023, where it won the People's Choice Award.^[9][11] This was followed by a run in the festival circuit, culminating in its United States premiere at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles on December 5, 2023.^[12] It had a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 15, 2023, with an expansion the following week (December 22, 2023).^[13] The film was initially set for a November 3, 2023 release date before changing to its current date.^[14] The film is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Curzon Film on February 2, 2024.^[15]

Reception

Critical response

Jeffrey Wright's performance in the film garnered critical acclaim.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 190 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Jeffrey Wright and American Fiction will forever be inextricable thanks to the actor's committed approach to the pointedly humorous and insightful material."^[17] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[18] Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film a 90% positive score, with 83% saying they would definitely recommend it.^[16]

In her review for The Hollywood Reporter, Lovia Gyarke wrote that "American Fiction is smart and, thanks to its fine cast, has genuine heart", commending Wright's "subtle physicality […] that contributes depth to his character", as well as "Uggams' increasingly somber performance as Agnes and Brown’s delightful comedic turn".^[19]

Filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood praised the film, saying "Your first film should tell the world who you are as an artist. With American Fiction, Cord Jefferson has screamed into a bullhorn. Bold, chaotic, unflinching, personal. Cord has channeled his creative truths into a searing indictment of biased norms. As artists of color, we recognize all of it. The best humor comes from truth, and he yields laughter as a weapon. Forces offenders to pay attention. To take a look at themselves. But Cord wants more. He wants the world to see our humanity. So he couples his blistering satire with a heartbreaking family drama. His collaboration with Jeffrey Wright is a triumph, giving the actor the words and space to create a performance that conquers that same tightrope. Cord is a writer/director and he wholly owns this vision. This is a first film that excites us all for what’s to come next."^[20]

See also

• American Fiction (soundtrack)

Notes

References

External links

• Official website
• American Fiction at IMDb