Cord Jefferson's debut directorial work, American Fiction, humorously challenges our culture's penchant for pigeonholing individuals into exaggerated stereotypes. Star Actor Jeffrey Wright takes on the lead role of Monk, who is a disillusioned novelist rebelling against the establishment's exploitation of 'Black' entertainment rooted in worn-out and offensive clichés. To expose this hypocrisy, Monk adopts a pen name to craft his own audacious 'Black' book, thrusting him into the very madness he critiques. Other cast members for this upcoming movie are jeffrey wright, erika alexander, john ortiz, tracee ellis ross, and more directed by Cord Jefferson. Check it out.
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:00 Monk, your books are good, but they're not popular.
00:02 Monk is a writer, but for those few people out there who still read,
00:07 they don't like what he's offering.
00:09 Editors, they want a black book.
00:11 They have a black book. I'm black, and it's my book.
00:14 You know what I mean.
00:16 He doesn't want to be pigeonholed in terms of the stories that he writes.
00:19 Look at what they publish. Look at what they expect us to write.
00:22 He's sick of the racial politics of being a black artist in the world.
00:25 I just want to rub their noses in it.
00:28 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:30 So he pulls a prank and writes a new novel.
00:32 Hello.
00:33 I be standing outside in the night.
00:36 Deadbeat dads, rappers, crack.
00:38 You said you wanted black stuff.
00:39 That's black, right?
00:41 I see what you're doing.
00:42 And it becomes the best-selling novel of his career.
00:45 We believe Mr. Lee has written a bestseller.
00:47 It's a joke, the most lucrative joke you've ever told.
00:50 But then he sees folks like, this is amazing.
00:53 Is this based on your actual life?
00:56 Yeah, you think some bitch-ass college boy can come up with that shit?
00:59 No, no. No, I don't.
01:00 It drives him off the wall.
01:02 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:04 Your books change people's lives.
01:06 They're offering $4 million for the movie, right?
01:08 Yes!
01:09 The dumber I behave, the richer I get.
01:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:12 This film explores identity, culture, race, and family in a way that I think is really interesting.
01:18 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:20 This has gone too far.
01:21 Stagg Arlie is still on the run from authorities.
01:23 You haven't done anything. It's not like they can arrest you.
01:25 I think it's going to be really gratifying for people to gather in a theater and watch this.
01:30 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:32 [SCREAMING]
01:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]