A brother and sister's battle over a prized heirloom piano unleashes haunting truths about how the past is perceived — and who defines a family legacy.
John David Washington
Boy Willie
Danielle Deadwyler
Berniece Charles
Samuel L. Jackson
Doaker Charles
Ray Fisher
Lymon
Michael Potts
Wining Boy
Corey Hawkins
Avery
Gail Bean
Dolly
Jerrika Hinton
Grace
Stephan James
Boy Charles
Skylar Aleece Smith
Maretha
Erykah Badu
Lucille
Malik J Ali
Willie Boy
Charity Jordan
Mama Berniece
Isaiah Gunn
Young Boy Willie
Matrell Smith
Crawley
Eilan Joseph
Papa Boy Walter
Pauletta Washington
Mama Ola
Olivia Washington
Young Mama Ola
Kylee D. Allen
Young Berniece
Deetta West
Mama Esther
Jay Peterson
James Sutter
David Atkinson
Robert Sutter
Tony Fox
Young Wining Boy
Melanie Jeffcoat
Miss Ophelia
Owen Harn
Joel Nolander
Charles Green
White Man
Scott Andersen
Patriot (uncredited)
Saige Aristilde
Ancestor (uncredited)
Nigel Barto
Neighbor (uncredited)
Hasani Vibez
Young Factory Worker (uncredited)
Lovell Gates
Mr. V. (uncredited)
Gracie Jackline
Extra (uncredited)
Anna Mezentseva
Factory Worker (uncredited)
Zuri Parker
Ancestor (uncredited)
Trenton Schillinger
Factory Worker (uncredited)
Rob Wood
Musician (uncredited)
Shaun Woodbury
Townsperson (uncredited)
Director, Screenplay
Malcolm Washington
Screenplay
Virgil Williams
Theatre Play
August Wilson
December 3, 2024
5
When a gifted playwright’s work is adapted for the big screen, the transition from one medium to another can be quite challenging to pull off successfully. And, if the adaptation gets it wrong, it fails to do justice to the source material, an outcome that often unfairly reinforces the blanket denigration often accorded to film as an “inferior” artform compared to others (like literature or the stage). Such is the case, unfortunately, with this latest adaptation of work drawn from the writings of August Wilson, a stage-to-screen cross-over comes up short compared to previous conversions of his material (like “Fences” (2016), which succeeded brilliantly). This tale of two siblings (John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler) who match wits over the fate of a family heirloom – a piano with a hand-carved façade featuring images of their slave era ancestors – depicts their heated discussions over its ultimate dispensation, one option aimed at selling it and the other bent on retaining it as a treasured piece of family history. As this scenario plays out, however, complications emerge when the ghosts of their deceased relatives and other spirits make their surreal presence known in steering the quarrelsome brother and sister to settle the matter. It’s an intriguing premise, one that speaks volumes about dealing with the ghosts of one’s past, what they endured in their lives and how the impact of their experiences has been passed down to their descendants. But many of the film’s scenes fall prey to one of the key pitfalls that often undermine theatrical adaptations – a series of overlong, stagey, tediously talky conversations that may work on Broadway but that try the patience of viewers on screen. What’s more, many sequences launch into seemingly unrelated exchanges whose connections to the primary narrative often seem tangential at best, segments that are further undermined by loquacious and not particularly interesting dialogues. And, as for the fantasy sequences, their excessively disparate nature is wholly incongruous with the remainder of the film, looking more like they belong in a movie like “Carrie” (1976) than an August Wilson production. While writer-director Malcolm Washington’s debut feature definitely has its strong suits, such as its fine ensemble of performances, inventive cinematography and meticulous period piece production design, it lacks the integral components needed to make this a compelling and engaging watch. To be sure, August Wilson deserves better than what’s materialized here, a film that’s largely forgettable and a pale shadow of his other cinematic adaptations.