I had the opportunity to sit down with the team behind the new film adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “The Piano Lesson.” This highly anticipated movie is a Washington family affair, with Denzel Washington producing, his son John David Washington starring, and another son Malcolm Washington making his feature directorial debut.
The film follows the Charles family in 1930s Pittsburgh as they grapple with the legacy of an heirloom piano, carved with the faces of their enslaved ancestors. Boy Willie (John David Washington) wants to sell the piano to buy the land his family worked on as slaves, but his sister Berniece (the captivating Danielle Deadwyler) is determined to keep this family treasure.
The Washington clan is honoring August Wilson’s vast dramatic legacy, known as the “Pittsburgh Cycle”—10 plays that chronicle the African American experience over the 20th century. After successful adaptations of “Fences” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” the family has set its sights on bringing “The Piano Lesson” to the screen.
The elder Washington, who won an Oscar for his role in the “Fences” film, stated, “Taking care of August is the greatest part of what’s left of my career.” It’s a noble goal, but one that doesn’t always translate smoothly to the cinematic medium.
The film struggles to fully capture the poetic, haunting essence of Wilson’s work. While the Washingtons have clearly poured their hearts into this project, first-time director Malcolm Washington’s attempts to “open up” the stage play with flashbacks and supernatural elements end up feeling disjointed.
John David Washington’s portrayal of the bombastic Boy Willie further exacerbates the tonal imbalance. The actor, who has impressed in films like “BlacKkKlansman” and “Tenet,” veers perilously close to scenery-chewing, often overwhelming the quieter, more nuanced work of his co-stars.
Fortunately, Danielle Deadwyler’s searing, Oscar-worthy turn as Berniece saves the film. Unjustly snubbed for her gut-wrenching work in last year’s “Till,” the actress brings a raw, emotional authenticity to her role. In Berniece’s grief, anger, and determination to preserve her family’s history, Deadwyler finds the heart of Wilson’s play.
The veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson, who played Boy Willie on stage, also delivers a masterclass in understatement as the world-weary Uncle Doaker. His grounded, lived-in performance provides a welcome counterpoint to the histrionics around him.
“As Black people, we are all constantly engaging in a history,” said Malcolm Washington, reflecting on the weight of the family’s commitment to Wilson’s work. That sense of history, both personal and collective, is palpable throughout “The Piano Lesson.”
The Washington clan’s reverence for Wilson’s writing is evident, but their eagerness to put a cinematic stamp on it doesn’t always serve the material well. The film is at its best when it embraces the quiet, contemplative power of Wilson’s poetry rather than trying to heighten it.
In the end, “The Piano Lesson” presents a complex picture, a commendable attempt that fails to fully capture the enchantment of the stage on screen. But in Deadwyler’s performance and in the Washington family’s ongoing mission to preserve August Wilson’s legacy, there is plenty to admire.
As Denzel Washington put it, bringing these stories to life is a “privilege and honor, responsibility and duty, and a joy.” With “The Piano Lesson,” they’ve fulfilled that duty, even if the final product doesn’t quite reach the heights of Wilson’s original vision.