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When a person receives an inheritance from family, that blessing is often a burden, heavy with the weight of responsibility. In The Piano Lesson, that dichotomy is examined through the lens of a Black family in the midst of the Great Depression, not far from the long shadow of slavery. Produced by Denzel Washington and directed by his son, Malcolm Washington, the film is a hauntingly effective adaptation of the fourth play in August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle. Danielle Deadwyler burns down the house as the responsible sister Berniece, protector of the family piano and their legacy. When her flighty brother Boy Willie (a delightfully annoying John David Washington) drops in for an unexpected visit, his desperate ambition and irreverence toward his roots throws the entire household into chaos.
Slowly, the dark parts of the family history are illuminated, and both siblings are forced to reckon with the ghosts of the past on their own terms—whether they are ready to or not. A mellow Samuel L. Jackson shows considerable range as Uncle Doaker, one of the last elders who can recount history firsthand. The casting is exceptional all around, including Corey Hawkins as a wonderfully sheepish Avery—a young preacher who hasn’t yet earned the gravitas of the title—and a brief cameo from Erykah Badu. Washington’s astute direction keeps the balance tilted toward the heart-wrenching family turmoil even as unseen forces raise the drama to an explosive resolution. An exquisite film rendition of an American stage classic, The Piano Lesson promises to strike a powerful chord within the soul. PG-13, 125 min.
Netflix, limited release in theaters
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