Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington’s The Piano Lesson tells an intense story about hope and heritage, and its narrative seems realistic enough to be based on a true story. The Denzel Washington-produced The Piano Lesson tells the story of the Charles family and their family heirloom, a piano. The family is split, as Boy Willie (John David Washington) wants to sell the piano and secure wealth for his family, while Berniece (Dianne Deadwyler) views it as their family’s legacy. The Piano Lesson tackles some universal themes in a very relatable way, and the story is so compelling that it often seems true.
Reviews for The Piano Lesson have been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s largely due to how relatable its plot is. That sense of familiarity helped The Piano Lesson achieve a high Rotten Tomatoes score of 90% even before it premiered on Netflix. Even though there are several supernatural elements in The Piano Lessonits story feels so universal that it can even seem like it was based on a true story. The film wasn’t, however, telling a true story, but it was based on real life, and its actual inspiration comes from an even more surprising source.
The Piano Lesson Is Not Based On A True Story
The Piano Lesson Is Based On August Wilson’s Fictional Play
Though it tells a mostly realistic story, The Piano Lesson is not based on a true story. It is instead based on a 1987 play of the same name penned by legendary playwright August Wilson. The Piano Lesson is part of Wilson’s “Pittsburgh Cycle,” a group of 10 stage plays that were meant to celebrate and examine the experiences of Black Americans throughout each decade of the 20th century. That explains why The Piano Lesson has such a realistic story, as Wilson’s plays were about the average experience many Black people in America had.
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There’s also a sense that August Wilson’s works were inspired by real life. The playwright grew up in Pittsburgh, where all but one of his plays was set, and many of his characters were likely based upon real people he knew throughout his life. Both the Pittsburgh Cycle and The Piano Lesson also serve as something of a time capsule for a moment in history for many Black Americans. Even though the actual plot of the play isn’t based on facts, it contains enough kernels of truth to be considered a good representation of reality for people at that time.
The Piano Lesson’s Original Play Was Inspired By A 1983 Painting
August Wilson Was Inspired By Romare Bearden Several Times
Though August Wilson didn’t take inspiration from a real life family while writing The Piano Lessonhe was inspired by someone else. Wilson actually got the idea for The Piano Lesson from a 1983 print by Romare Bearden titled “The Piano Lesson (Homage to Mary Lou),” (via Smithsonian Magazine). Wilson himself has spoken at length about how much he admired Bearden’s artwork, and it’s fairly clear to see how the painting helped inspire his Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Both versions of The Piano Lesson emphasize the role music has played in generations of families, though Wilson’s took a more complicated approach to the topic.
Wilson himself has spoken at length about how much he admired Bearden’s artwork, and it’s fairly clear to see how the painting helped inspire his Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
That wasn’t the first time Wilson cited Bearden as one of his inspirations, however, as Joe Turner’s Come and Gone originally shared its title with an earlier Bearden artwork, titled “Mill Hand’s Lunch Bucket.” Wilson’s enduring interest in Bearden’s art also fits perfectly with the goal he set for the Pittsburgh Cycleas both artists emphasized the triumphs and joys of being Black. It also fits perfectly with the film version of The Piano Lessonas almost anyone, regardless of race, can relate to questions of legacy and how to move forward without forgetting about the past.
In The Piano Lesson, a brother and sister clash over selling a family heirloom piano—he sees it as a path to wealth, while she views it as a vital link to their heritage. Their uncle tries to mediate, but the conflict reveals deep truths about identity, legacy, and the past.
- Director
-
Malcolm Washington
- Release Date
-
November 8, 2024
- Writers
-
Virgil Williams
, Malcolm Washington - Cast
-
Samuel L. Jackson
, John David Washington
, Danielle Deadwyler
, Ray Fisher
, Corey Hawkins
, Michael Potts
, Skylar Smith
, Stephan James
, Erykah Badu
, Malik J Ali
, Charity Jordan
, Isaiah Gunn
, Matrell Smith
, Jerrika Hinton
, Gail Bean
, Hanniel Joseph
, Pauletta Washington
, Olivia Washington
, Kylee D. Allen
, Deetta West
, Jay Peterson
, David Atkinson
, Tony Fox
, Melanie Jeffcoat
, Owen Harn
, Charles Green - Character(s)
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Doaker
, Boy Willie
, Berniece
, Lymon
, Avery
, Wining Boy
, Maretha
, Boy Charles
, Lucille
, Willie Boy
, Mama Berniece
, Young Boy Willie
, Crawley
, Grace
, Dolly
, Papa Boy Walter
, Mama Ola
, Young Mama Ola
, Young Berniece
, Mama Esther
, James Sutter
, Robert Sutter
, Young Wining Boy
, Miss Ophelia
, Joel Nolander
, White Man - Runtime
-
125 Minutes
