The Piano Lesson (2024)
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A family's history is haunted by the literal ghost of their past as they clash over a sacred heirloom.
The story
In 1936, Boy Willie arrives in Pittsburgh with his friend Lymon, hauling a truckload of watermelons. James Sutter was murdered by being pushed down the well, and the Sutter family offered Boy Willie part of their Mississippi farmland as reparations for his father's death, and so Boy Willie is determined to sell the piano to purchase the last of the land. However, Berniece, who lives in Pittsburgh with her young daughter Maretha and their uncle Doaker, refuses to part with the piano, seeing it as a sacred artifact of their family history and a reminder of their struggles.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1911, Boy Charles steals a piano from the Sutter family, the former enslavers of the Charles family. The piano, carved with faces of African ancestors, represents the family’s heritage. After giving his family a head start, Boy Charles attempts to flee via train boxcar but is caught by the Sutters and burned inside. In 1936, Boy Willie arrives in Pittsburgh seeking to sell the piano to purchase Mississippi farmland as reparations for his father's death. Berniece, however, refuses to sell it, viewing it as a sacred artifact. The siblings' arguments reveal the piano's significance, with Berniece resenting her mother's forced piano lessons and Boy Willie seeking autonomy. Supernatural elements intensify as Sutter's ghost begins to haunt the household, particularly Berniece and Maretha. Berniece attributes the haunting to Boy Willie's disruptive intentions and suspects he killed Sutter. Avery, a local preacher, attempts to exorcise the house unsuccessfully. Eventually, Berniece decides to play the piano for the first time in years, calling upon her ancestors to exorcise the ghost and save her brother. Boy Willie reaches an understanding with his sister and abandons his plans to sell the piano. Berniece begins teaching Maretha to play, while Boy Willie returns to the Sutter farmland, grasps the dirt as his father taught him, and departs.
- First release year
- 2024
- Runtime (minutes)
- 127
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Malcolm Washington
- Writers
- Virgil Williams · screenplay; Malcolm Washington · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Samuel L. Jackson; John David Washington; Ray Fisher; Michael Potts; Erykah Badu; Skylar Aleece Smith; Danielle Deadwyler; Corey Hawkins
- Genres
- drama; supernatural
- Themes
- generational trauma; heritage; survival; tradition
- Tone and mood
- cathartic; moving; pastoral
- Premise and plot tags
- supernatural; family drama; historical; ghost story
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Piano Lesson (1987 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by August Wilson)
- Franchise connections
- Pittsburgh Cycle
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with Danielle Deadwyler's performance receiving critical acclaim.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 69 · scale: 100 · review count: 40
- Awards and nominations
- Critics' Choice Award · Best Supporting Actress · nomination; Screen Actors Guild Award · Best Supporting Actress · nomination
- Production trivia
- John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher and Potts reprise their roles from the 2022 stage production of the play.; The film debuted at #5 on Netflix's U.S. movie chart before settling at #6.; Filming began in Atlanta in April 2023.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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