American Fiction by Ben Schoonmaker
American Fiction is a satire film which was released on September 8th of this year. It is directed by Cord Jefferson. Jefferson is also behind the screenplay of the film and he is a producer of the film. The movie is based on the 2001 novel Erasure by the author Percival Everett.
In American Fiction, the main character played by Jeffrey Wright, Monk, is a college professor and novelist. The beginning of the movie shows Monk’s life, focusing on his work and home environment. Dealing with family troubles, his mom was in the initial stages of dementia and had other health issues.
Meanwhile, Monk wrote a book out of frustration about African American stereotypes that he hated. He was critical of the industry which narrows black stories to works about poverty and trauma. The novel was made in a joking manner and wasn’t ever supposed to be published. Monk’s agent, Arthur, found buyers interested in the book, instead of the work that Monk was actually taking seriously. Monk could’ve turned down the deals, but his mother’s healthcare costs needed to be addressed. Eventually, Monk was basically cornered into accepting an offer. Arthur told Monk regarding the interest in the book, saying, “White people think they want the truth, but they don’t. They just want to feel absolved.”
The film follows the themes of Erasure closely as Everett and Jefferson’s messages are identical. Both works preach the idea that the entertainment industry solidifies black stereotypes in society. Rather than showing the reality of African Americans, there is a fixation on the troubles that many people think black people go through within this industry.
While the film does not imply the idea that the stories are false, its point is to reveal how the entertainment industry paints something not fully accurate of African American lives. Not only that, but the film illustrates the idea that works based on black stereotypes are received readily and eagerly by the media and audiences. What Jefferson wanted to say through the movie was that society consumes everything the industry feeds it if it pushes the idea of black struggle. Whether or not people agree with Jefferson, it should be food for thought in a country that has battled with the realities of racial and ethnic minorities throughout history.
In American Fiction, the main character played by Jeffrey Wright, Monk, is a college professor and novelist. The beginning of the movie shows Monk’s life, focusing on his work and home environment. Dealing with family troubles, his mom was in the initial stages of dementia and had other health issues.
Meanwhile, Monk wrote a book out of frustration about African American stereotypes that he hated. He was critical of the industry which narrows black stories to works about poverty and trauma. The novel was made in a joking manner and wasn’t ever supposed to be published. Monk’s agent, Arthur, found buyers interested in the book, instead of the work that Monk was actually taking seriously. Monk could’ve turned down the deals, but his mother’s healthcare costs needed to be addressed. Eventually, Monk was basically cornered into accepting an offer. Arthur told Monk regarding the interest in the book, saying, “White people think they want the truth, but they don’t. They just want to feel absolved.”
The film follows the themes of Erasure closely as Everett and Jefferson’s messages are identical. Both works preach the idea that the entertainment industry solidifies black stereotypes in society. Rather than showing the reality of African Americans, there is a fixation on the troubles that many people think black people go through within this industry.
While the film does not imply the idea that the stories are false, its point is to reveal how the entertainment industry paints something not fully accurate of African American lives. Not only that, but the film illustrates the idea that works based on black stereotypes are received readily and eagerly by the media and audiences. What Jefferson wanted to say through the movie was that society consumes everything the industry feeds it if it pushes the idea of black struggle. Whether or not people agree with Jefferson, it should be food for thought in a country that has battled with the realities of racial and ethnic minorities throughout history.