American Fiction is a Genuinely Funny and Touching Movie | REVIEW

Best Picture Nominee American Fiction hilariously and honestly skewers the idea of wokeness while simultaneously harboring a touching family story at its core.
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[@dukeofdenver]

As a black guy who loves writing, this is one thing I struggled with for a long time. I grew up reading the Lord of the Rings, Narnia and other predominantly white Western fantasy literature just like everyone else. But the industry expects you to write a "black" story, and it's seen as inauthentic if you don't. But I like the knights, castles and dragons too, damn😭😭 The "hack" these days is to just write a story with those Euro Western lit tropes but just have a mysteriously uniform multi-ethnic cast.

[@vimalpatel4060]

Hey, Duke. Maybe the secret is to veil the knights and castles and the Lancelot legends, through modern prose and vernacular. For example. A knight walked into a cavern, expecting the full missile of beer, brethren, and jousting humor. It can be. He walked into a bar, expecting to be serenaded by beer, brethren, and the jousting of swords. I think you can still tell those stories, but as the culture is hostile. We have to just veil it a bit.. Does that help at all, Duke?

[@thatwasinteresting3319]

Remember it's "fantasy". You can build a world with those elements and have a different ethnicity. What people do not like is when you take Lord of the Rings and make all the elves black/Hispanic/Asian or whatever. Create your own universe. Populate it with who ever you want. Make it original and if it is good people will find you and enjoy your work. What I hate is just how lazy Hollywood is and how little bravery they have to try something new and different. Remake after remake. Remember Star Wars was a big gamble in the 70's. Or as Cartman says "Put a chick in it, make her lame and gay".

[@shortminute]

I teach in post secondary. My peer is part Blackfoot and hadn’t revealed this to the school. He grew up off reserve but would visit his family there. He feels he’s not Blackfoot and refuses to play the identity card. He likes all themes, and is quite open to stories and views from all over the world. Recently he was demoted sent back to the sessional ranks. The admin plan to hire a more diverse instructors (I was demoted too). He could reveal his Blackfoot heritage but he still refuses. Now think about that? Is it his Blackfoot heritage that gives him suck integrity? Or is it he’s just a very smart, gifted person who sees the comedy and tragedy playing out?

[@Yesica1993]

Why would anyone in the world have anyone's else's skin tones in mind when reading LOTR or Narnia or other such stories? It's mind boggling.

[@NightwatchRebel]

Lord of da Ringz: De Kang Be Back

[@hailcthulhu419]

Considering one of, if not the greatest American intellectual of the past sixty years is Thomas Sowell and the majority of people have never even heard of him let alone read his work, the premise of the film rings somewhat true.

[@jamk2668]

As an academic, Thomas is considered irrelevant by both his fellow economists and other social scientists more broadly.

[@hailcthulhu419]

@@jamk2668 way to prove my point leftoid. Of course he is marginalized by modern academia, because mordern academia is dominated by leftists who hold contempt for his views. Did you think your statement was going to convince me of something? My first semester of grad school, every single assigned reading was either written by a soc dem, or a self proclaimed Marxist. So, you're not going to convince me that the majority of academics dont haven't a far-left agenda. How about, instead of mindlessly regurgitating this drivel, you actually pick up a few of his books and give them a read.

[@rogeralsop3479]

I thought the same.

[@pouetpouetdaddy5]

@@jamk2668 because he didn't comply to the white woke orthodoxy?

[@bradhorowitz2765]

I def would not say Sowell is particularly “great.” I’d recommend this video into critiquing his economic views kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIvNhIuJZ7OXiZI; there is sowell downplaying much like a majority of the more well known conservative pundits the Jan insurrection to overthrow the republic. I will however Agree that sowell is someone who absolutely was neglected by the political academia field. This is not good. One one hand, sowell is particularly an interesting guy and his views do present a different perspective that you won’t get in a well-oiled, non controversial academia setting. One the other, you could make the case his writings aren’t that great…so why teach them (I think this is a weak arguement), Thirdly, I’ve come to believe that America academia, when it comes to teaching students what is going on in the political debate field, there is an incredibly naive and outright dangerous understanding of the American conservative movement. Not only does this prevent students to from learning, it completely makes them unprepared to actually engage these ideas. It’s in large part why American liberals were late in understanding how could a Trump presidency that Strove to create a one man dictatorship on right wing views succeed in gaining power. Well, if they had been made aware of someone like sowell, they could have had a better grasp on how the conservative movement changed from the FDR years, the 50s, 60s, the creation of originalism, the paranoia, the rise of think tanks that were great at fostering mentorship’s and dark money lobbying. They could also understand how someone like Sowell and later Clarence Thomas could develop their views.

[@streglof]

"no, I'm pretty sure I've put two g's in there" funniest part in the movie

[@philjohnson394]

You have nailed it. American Fiction is two stories, entangled: the family drama; and the parody of woke identity politics liberalism -- and specifically, WHITE woke identity politics liberalism: "WWIPL," pronounced "whipple," to coin an acronym. Both storylines are important. They inform each other. The black characters are complex, nuanced, serious, highly accomplished people dealing with various life issues that -- apart from Monk's encounter with WWIPL -- have nothing to do with being black. The white characters are clowns, white Stephin Fetchits doing little minstrel show dances for the amusement of the black characters. This is of course an inversion of an old and now taboo Hollywood convention, and the parody is effective at that level. But the parody cuts deeper. Not only does EVERY white character in the movie have a terminal case of WWIPL; every one of them, in the real world, would be a liberal Democrat or affiliated with some group to the left of even the Democrats. They are drawn from the worlds of academia, publishing and film -- plus Monk's brother's boytoy -- and all are denizens of LeftWorld. These are domains that are proudly and aggressively progressive in orientation, with a very few scattered conservatives hiding out here and there. American Fiction says about the current left's wrong turn into smug, condescending, patronizing, reflexively racist identity politics exactly what conservatives have been saying for years. The racial parody could have been written by the Daily Wire team. My question is whether Cord Jefferson and the rest of the filmmakers fully realize that conservative and liberal audiences will see two very different movies. Or are they so deep in their own bubble that -- having never met a serious conservative -- they think this is a parody of white American, as opposed to LeftWorld white America? Maybe the Daily Wire gang should get Cord Jefferson on a podcast. And give him an award for "Best Conservative Film of the Year."

[@Dani-kq6qq]

If a movie made by woke lefties is a conservative film of the year for you, what does it say about conservative filmmakers? Woke lefties are more than willing to criticize all white people, whether they are liberal whites or conservative whites. The movie gives a pass to the black creatives who make that type of content in the end. Monk does take his bag selling those kinds of stories and it is portrayed as if he has done nothing wrong, same with that black female writer. So only whites are bad?

[@Null-jq2ki]

I’m a black lefty but you hit the nail on the head. Their critique of white liberals and their reaction black media is almost a mirror reflection of white people clapping at minstrel shows back in the day. White liberal definition of “realness” to blacks keeps stemming from 90’s gangster movies or outright golliwogish stereotypes. I think the bookstore scene where he moved his books out of the “black books” section showed it perfectly. We literally see the MC fight back against society trying to label him and his works as a “black books” or “black fiction” because he wants to be known as a regular mythology author. The MC felt real in which he was a black character that was sophisticated but struggled in a way that a lot of Americans (not just black or brown) can relate to. Hurt families, heavy medical payments for loved ones, career stress, sudden loss of loved ones, and fighting to make ends meet. I also love how the movie subverts stereotypes while keeping them there. Yeah he’s a black guy with family issues, and struggles for cash here n there but he doesn’t live in the hood, his family is still very loving of each other, and they’re all successful in their own ways. Truly a movie that, imo, shows the black experience. It’s not all hood shit or racist white people drama. It’s just boring people having to live with some heavy expectation while doing what they can. Even if doing what they can feels humiliating, degrading, or maybe even damaging.

[@jamk2668]

You actually reduce it quite a bit when you say it's a parody of "wokeism" which is just as hacky as the material he writes in the film.

[@philjohnson394]

@@jamk2668 Reduce it? How? Do you not understand that every white character in the film, in real life, would be a woke identity politics liberal? There is no conservative white person in the film.

[@markeggins890]

No way the Daily Wire could do something as good and nuanced as this film.

[@pantarkan7]

Sadly, you don't have to make an "anti-woke" movie to be pilloried; it just has to be "not woke".

[@joelhjd]

I’d watch Jeffrey Wright read the phone book through at least the Bs.

[@paulg6527]

I loved him in angels in America. He's a fantastic actor.

[@MichaelImo]

As a black person who didn't grow up in the streets, but around other white people who some teased "I spoke too white" this movie hit home interms of the box ppl try to put you in. It was a amazing movie

[@dereksbooks]

My favorite movie of 2023. It's smart and has a lot of heart.

[@natashka1982]

Rare gem. I didnt expect this quality movie on a plane

[@NMemone]

"My Pafology" 😂 Jeffrey Wright and Sterling K. Brown are two of the best actors of their generation. This looks interesting.

[@bradysmith4405]

I got into a little bit of an argument on Twitter once with Wright about the history of the democrat party. He quote tweeted me to publicly say how wrong I was. It’s too bad that’s the extent of my interactions with him cause I like him as an actor 😂

[@avantibev7759]

Sounds like the expectation that stranieri (non Italians) had toward Italians. Mario Puzzo wrote a beautiful book about Italian immigrants THE FORTUNATE PILGRIM but stranieri wouldn't buy it. He had to pander to prejudices with THE GODFATHER to achieve fame & financial success. 30 pieces of silver. So sad.

[@TheGuyInTheCheapSeats]

Is stranieri a slur?

[@ead630]

Gene Klavan and Andrew Ebert Andrew Siskel and Roger Klavan

[@joshendley]

I also thought that scene where she defends her book was cringe… it almost undid everything the movie worked towards and it pretends like it made a difference but it really didn’t.

[@jzeman]

I agree... Some dissonance there with the rest of the story. Almost like an emergency patch

[@natashka1982]

Why? She admitted later that it was a grift

[@jzeman]

When I heard the part where they talk about "No one reads in Hollywood" I genuinely wondered if Andrew Klavan with a K wrote the screenplay. I think it made fun of liberals and woke media... I thought the ending was great

[@oldchicken2]

I didn’t think the part where Rae defends her book was as bad as you. Essentially, I think it’s there to challenge Wright’s point of view, but not discredit it. From the first scene where we see Rae’s character read from her novel the film makes it clear that she’s a hack.

[@dereksbooks]

I think that her character went through the same struggles as our protagonist, but she relented and embraced the absurdity (she sold out).

[@Bill-v7p8x]

I would disagree with Wright's stance that "it's is a discussion that's happening" in classrooms. Actually, it's a discussion that is being shoved aside all over academia replaced by a one-sided monologue that resists any counterpoint to the current dogma.

[@Theonyxconservative]

This was the best "black" movie since Friday 💯

[@mfundi]

Rae is a hack but she’s there to offer perspective. The fact that her particular story may be fake doesn’t mean that the story isn’t a reality for many black people in the US. Very good movie i think.

[@natashka1982]

And everyone is aware of that reality. But other reality isnt offered cause its not making money

[@OutragdPickle]

You're correct. Segregation is racist. I'm dumbfounded how we devolved.

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

Easily one of the best movies of 2023. At the very least, it opened up the conversation in a way where leftists might be willing to accept. That was the closet thing I've ever seen to Hollywood genuinely critiquing itself without their masochistic virtue signaling.

[@dereksbooks]

My favorite movie of last year. So many duds in the past few years, yet here is rare gem.

[@BlankCanvas88]

I love movies with a compelling story-line where it never occurs to me what race someone is. I know we have different cultures, but at our heart we are all humans and have a lot more in common than we have different. It's so beautiful and unifying when we can relate on those common levels and enjoy comparing our differences rather than focus on differences and act as if they mean we can never relate.

[@seaknightvirchow8131]

It sounds like a story that Tom Wolfe would have loved.

[@gabrielcaro]

Of course Ben Shapiro focuses on nothing more than whether or not the story is woke, and he could give two shits about whether or not the family drama is entertaining.

[@dereksbooks]

Too bad for him. I went in expecting just a comedy with a focus on the novel writing, but it's the family and human drama that really propelled this movie to great heights for me. P.S. Ben liked Rise of Skywalker 😂

[@fecardona]

“Jeffrey Wright…a totally left wing guy…totally left wing” My God. WTF

[@theonly764hero1]

I’m not super familiar with Jeffrey Wright or his politics. Is he not a left leaning guy? Or what are you saying?

[@markallen2984]

I might stream it if I remember it.

[@ThinkfreeorDie]

I set myself a reminder to stream it in a month.

[@blomobloom9639]

Stream it, it's quite enjoyable

[@skieth9999]

This feels like a modern take on The Producers almost

[@victorbeltrame264]

A man wrote a book about how white people can pigeonhole black creative individuals. Another man made a movie based on the book. Two white men watched the movie and decided to criticize it for the very reason this work exists. Bravo 👏🏽

[@TrekBeatTK]

Unfortunately I found the movie to have tonal whiplash. The family story is good but it’s a 180 tonally and the movie doesn’t iron those swings out.

[@theonly764hero1]

I love the movie for its cutting and very accurate satire, but I totally agree. For me however this is a minor grievance against a movie we didn’t even deserve because of how powerful its themes were, but I felt that as well. I also wasn’t a fan of the ending. The film was basically a vehicle for some really good satire, but with some tonal inconsistencies and an abrupt ending which didn’t really resolve 90% of the conflict.

[@TrekBeatTK]

@@theonly764hero1 yeah the satire was hilarious and on point, but those scenes grew increasingly fewer. Which was disappointing.

[@dc24_]

3:39 Andrew caught the jungle fever 💘🖤😂

[@joãof.mendes]

Best american film I've seen in a while. It's not about race. Or even america. It's about fiction and stereotypes. Every single character except for the protagonist (which stands in for the writers - both the novelist and the screenwriter) is a stereotype. The main theme is therefore meta-fictional.

[@williampowell3378]

Spot on commentary

[@marksutton5540]

Thank you for keeping your fingers touching and reporting the pulse of the world of art.

[@rogeralsop3479]

The film was excellent and much food for thought.

[@highlevelranter8482]

American Fiction. Excellent movie and very funny.

[@natashka1982]

Watched this gem while on a plane. Rare quality movie, I was laughing so hard

[@2nd_snideelf144]

Excellent review of an excellent movie.

[@scillyautomatic]

How did I miss this? When that 70's bass kicks in... Love it, Baby!

[@apocalypsetedium]

It was a bait and switch. That was my problem with it. It looked like a critique of upperclass liberal hypocrisy. Not only does it back away from that critique, but most of the film is a fairly saccharine middle/upper-middle class family drama. That struggles to hold up under its own logic. The dad was a doctor and the three siblings are doctors... but nobody can afford anything? Maybe it should have focused on the declining standard of American life, where even doctors can't afford end-of-life care.

[@christinewaters691]

I’m so tired of this type of thing-isn’t there anything else to write about these days?

[@Jezeppi1]

Thankfully I’m an old man. Goodby hollyweird 😢😢😢

[@jamescollier3]

Oh how I miss Kalvan's show 😢😂

[@11jerans]

All the porn bot comments… lol

[@hikerJohn]

Report them . . .

[@snowman6199]

I just reported them

[@geraldlong8044]

Great movie.

[@blomobloom9639]

I enjoyed it so much

[@hammervonjammer1279]

KLAN.......

[@ofiasdfnosdf]

@klavan Your thoughts on this: “AI” generated video is progressing at an exponential rate. I envision in the very near future the democratization of filmmaking to the point where the average person could produce a blockbuster film. Hollywood will be upended because they’ll no longer be able to throw a few hundred million dollars at a crappy plot that just has glitzy special effects and trailer. Instead of a few billion dollar studios, they’ll be millions of regular people making a decent living because they have good ideas.

[@williampowell3378]

…unless Hollywood lobbies for and gets Big Government protection to exclusively use “industrial grade” AI.

[@steelydan449]

My understanding is that the brother is a gay polygamist so I’m not sure it’s about an ordinary family. I might check it out but they get the leftist garbage in for sure I’d say.

[@joelhjd]

He’s not a gay “polygamist”. 😂More like a newly gay horndog.

[@Lucky-r7y7w]

No, he's recently come out as gay and so is rather unhinged and promiscuous. It is more descriptive than prescriptive. The character has issues. My main qualm is the subtle celebration of the sister being an abortionist.

[@peterbadami4872]

There's definitely is left philosophies and lifestyles in this movie. The brother is gay, but he's not celebrated or made out to be a hero because of it. He's painted as flawed irresponsible, alcoholic, coke-head that he is. However the main character writer (Jeffrey Wright) doesn't really see color or think that race is as important for the type of novels he writes as everyone else around him. He wants to write great American novels, not novels that others say are great just because they are "Black novels". If fact he's frustrated that his novels that have nothing to do with race, keep getting put in Black author sections of book stores. So he sets out to write the worst, stereotypical, broken English, black novel he possibly can to expose how white liberals aren't actually tolerate or excepting of ideas and stories from Blacks when they rise above subject matter other than negative stereotypes of African Americans.

[@jzeman]

Yes, but it's not a positive portrayal

[@garyaveryii995]

👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@justinjaeger1554]

This is a ridiculous point about white actors not being desirable these days. 8/10 of this year's best picture nominees were led by / featured majority white people

[@juliea2864]

We're not going to blame whites for black culture. I'm probably going to agree with Shapiro on this. I can't believe Klavan likes this movie.

[@kevinmuzerMetalMind64]

👍

[@enthos38]

Algorithm stimulus

[@denroy3]

Yawn. Klavan is getting worthless

[@blomobloom9639]

Nah the movie is great. That's it