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The Piano Lesson (2024 film)

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The Piano Lesson
Release poster
Directed byMalcolm Washington
Screenplay by
Based onThe Piano Lesson
by August Wilson
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMike Gioulakis
Edited byLeslie Jones
Music byAlexandre Desplat
Production
company
Mundy Lane Entertainment
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • August 31, 2024 (2024-08-31) (Telluride)
  • November 8, 2024 (2024-11-08) (United States)
  • November 22, 2024 (2024-11-22) (Netflix)
Running time
125 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Piano Lesson is a 2024 American drama film directed by Malcolm Washington, who co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams. It is an adaptation of the 1987 play by August Wilson. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Danielle Deadwyler, and Corey Hawkins.

The Piano Lesson premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2024, and it was released in select theaters in the United States on November 8, 2024, before streaming on Netflix on November 22.

Premise

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Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the Great Depression, The Piano Lesson follows the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor.

— Deadline Hollywood[1]

Cast

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Production

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In September 2015, Denzel Washington announced that he would produce film adaptations of all of August Wilson's plays from the Pittsburgh Cycle series. Fences and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom were released in 2016 and 2020 respectively.

It was announced in April 2023 that Malcolm Washington would make his feature directorial and screenwriting debut with the film, an adaptation of The Piano Lesson, with his brother John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, and Corey Hawkins starring.[1] John David Washington, Jackson, Fisher and Potts reprise their roles from the 2022 stage production of the play.[2] Washington's father, Denzel, is producing the film with Todd Black. In May, singer Erykah Badu was announced to be making a cameo appearance in the film.[3] Gail Bean, Jerrika Hinton, Stephan James, Malik J. Ali, Jay Peterson and Matrell Smith rounded out the cast in June 2023.[4]

Filming began in Atlanta in April 2023.[5] The Pittsburgh Film Office expressed disappointment that the production would not be filming in the city like previous Wilson adaptations.[6]

Release

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The film's world premiere took place at the Telluride Film Festival, prior to its international premiere as a special presentation at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.[7][8]

The Piano Lesson was released in select theaters in the United States on November 8, 2024, before streaming on Netflix on November 22.[9][10]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 100 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "A Southern Gothic played at a ferocious key, The Piano Lesson brings August Wilson's words to vivid life with an outstanding ensemble."[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[12]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Hamptons International Film Festival October 5, 2024 Breakthrough Director Award Malcolm Washington Honored [13]
Mill Valley Film Festival October 5, 2024 MVFF Acting Award Danielle Deadwyler Won [14]
Middleburg Film Festival October 20, 2024 Breakthrough Actor Award Honored [15]
Newport Beach Film Festival October 20, 2024 Outstanding Performance Female Won [16]
Best U.S. Narrative Malcolm Washington Won
SCAD Savannah Film Festival October 26, 2024 Inaugural Ensemble Award The cast of The Piano Lesson[a] Honored [17]
Montclair Film Festival October 27, 2024 Performance Award John David Washington Honored [18]
Breakthrough Director Award Malcolm Washington Honored
Chicago International Film Festival October 27, 2024 Breakthrough Award Honored [19]
Spotlight Award John David Washington Honored
Denver Film Festival November 1, 2024 Excellence in Writing Award Malcolm Washington and Virgil Williams Honored [20]
Elle's Women in Hollywood Celebration November 19, 2024 The Witness Danielle Deadwyler Honored [21]
Gotham Awards December 2, 2024 Ensemble Tribute The cast of The Piano Lesson[a] Honored [22]
Outstanding Supporting Performance Danielle Deadwyler Pending [23]
Astra Film Awards December 8, 2024 Best First Feature Malcolm Washington Pending [24]
Best Supporting Actress Danielle Deadwyler Pending
Celebration of Cinema and Television December 9, 2024 Actor Award – Film John David Washington Won [25]
SFFILM Awards December 9, 2024 George Gund III Award for Virtuosity Malcolm Washington Honored [26]
Palm Springs International Film Festival January 3, 2025 Directors to Watch Won [27]
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards January 11, 2025 Best Intergenerational Movie The Piano Lesson Pending [28]
African-American Film Critics Association February 19, 2025 Emerging Director Award Malcolm Washington Honored [29]
Breakout Performance Award Ray Fisher Honored

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins and Erykah Badu

References

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  1. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (April 13, 2023). "Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler & More Set For Netflix's The Piano Lesson; Denzel Washington, Todd Black Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  2. ^ White, Abbey (April 27, 2022). "Ray Fisher Joins Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington in Cast of Broadway's 'The Piano Lesson'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  3. ^ Grobar, Matt (May 30, 2023). "The Piano Lesson: Erykah Badu Latest To Board Netflix's August Wilson Adaptation". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  4. ^ Grobar, Matt (June 1, 2023). "Netflix's 'The Piano Lesson' Adds Gail Bean, Jerrika Hinton, Stephan James & Others". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  5. ^ Carey, Adam (April 14, 2023). "Rain delays filming of 'The Piano Lesson' in the Between the Rivers District". Rome News-Tribune. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  6. ^ Axelrod, Joshua (April 13, 2023). "Netflix's The Piano Lesson adaptation breaks cycle by not filming in Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  7. ^ Hammond, Pete (August 29, 2024). "Telluride Film Festival Lineup Includes 'Saturday Night', 'The Piano Lesson', 'Conclave' & 'Nickel Boys' World Premieres". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  8. ^ Kay, Jeremy (July 22, 2024). "Toronto film festival adds Angelina Jolie, Mike Leigh, Edward Burns, David Mackenzie titles". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on August 2, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  9. ^ Netflix [@netflix] (August 20, 2024). "The Piano Lesson directed by Malcolm Washington. Trailer tomorrow. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skyler Aleece Smith, Danielle Deadwyler, and Corey Hawkins" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. ^ Asatryan, Tigran (August 20, 2024). "'The Piano Lesson' Netflix Movie: Release Date & Everything We Know So Far". What's on Netflix. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  11. ^ "The Piano Lesson". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 29, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  12. ^ "The Piano Lesson". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  13. ^ McCracken, Kristin (August 28, 2024). "HIFF 2024: Conversations + Honorees". Hamptons International Film Festival. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  14. ^ Jackson, Angelique (September 24, 2024). "'The Piano Lesson' Star Danielle Deadwyler to Receive Mill Valley Film Fest Award (EXCLUSIVE)".
  15. ^ Feinberg, Scott (September 26, 2024). "Middleburg Film Fest: 'Blitz' to Open, 'Nickel Boys' to Close, 'Sing Sing' Stars Among Honorees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  16. ^ Stephan, Katcy (October 31, 2024). "'The Piano Lesson' and 'The Last Journey' Land Top Audience Prizes at Newport Beach Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)".
  17. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (September 27, 2024). "'The Piano Lesson' Cast to Receive Inaugural Ensemble Award at SCAD Savannah Film Festival)".
  18. ^ "The Montclair Film Festival Announces 2024 Opening, Closing, Centerpiece, Honors, & Creator Spotlight". Montclair Film. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  19. ^ Roche, Barbara (September 24, 2024). "60th Chicago International Film Festival full lineup and schedule". Reel Chicago News. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  20. ^ Jones, Marcus (October 17, 2024). "Joan Chen, 'Saturday Night' Stars, and More Join Lineup of Denver Film Festival 2024 Award Winners". IndieWire. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  21. ^ "Women in Hollywood". Elle. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
    Ukiomogbe, Juliana (November 14, 2024). "History Is Speaking Through Danielle Deadwyler". Elle. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  22. ^ Feinberg, Scott (September 18, 2024). "Gotham Awards: The Piano Lesson Cast Set for Ensemble Tribute (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  23. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (October 29, 2024). "Gotham Awards Nominations: 'Anora' Leads Pack, 'Challengers' & 'Nickel Boys' Among Group Up For Best Feature". Deadline. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  24. ^ Pond, Steve (November 25, 2024). "'Wicked' Leads Nominations for Astra Film Awards". TheWrap.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  25. ^ "The Critics Choice Association Announces Full Slate of Honorees for the 7th Annual Celebration of Black Cinema and Television – Critics Choice Awards". Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  26. ^ "SFFILM Awards Night to Honor Denis Villeneuve, Demi Moore, Malcolm Washington, and Jason Reitman". SFFILM. November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  27. ^ Gilchrist, Todd (November 19, 2024). "'The Substance,' 'The Piano Lesson,' 'Babygirl' Filmmakers Selected for Variety's 2025 Directors to Watch". Variety. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  28. ^ Lewis, Hilary (November 20, 2024). "Movies for Grownups Awards: 'Conclave' Leads With 6 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  29. ^ "AwardsWatch - African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) Honorees: 'Nickel Boys,' 'The Piano Lesson' Filmmakers and Casts and More". AwardsWatch. November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
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