Film
Denzel Washington Hands Over Reins to Son Malcolm to Bring August Wilson’s ‘The Piano Lesson’ to the Big Screen
TORONTO (AP) — August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” has an insightful tackle the subject of ancestry and heritage, making the latest film adaptation, produced by Denzel Washington and directed by his son Malcolm, a family affair.
“The Piano Lesson,” which premiered Tuesday at the Toronto International Film Festival, is Washington’s third in an ongoing effort to bring Wilson’s plays to the screen. The film follows “Fences” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and, like those movies, features several strong performances from actors, including Danielle Deadwyler as Berniece and John David Washington, Malcolm’s older brother, as Berniece’s brother, Boy Willie.
In Thirties Pittsburgh, Boy Willie arrives at his sister’s home with plans to sell a family heirloom, a piano engraved by their ancestors who took it from a slave. In the heartbreaking family drama that follows, Berniece, Boy Willie, and others (Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Potts, and Ray Fisher) grapple with the haunting shadow of slavery and the burden of their family legacy.
“There are so many legacies that come with it,” says Malcolm Washington. “I think it’s part of our responsibility, when you’re in a position to make a film like this, to honor that and to keep that alive. We’re here because so many people fought and sacrificed and worked to give the next generation a chance. This film and its story are ultimately so much bigger than my family.”
Malcolm, 33, sat next to his older brother and Deadwyler just a few hours before the premiere of “The Piano Lesson,” which Netflix will release on Nov. 8 after which stream on Nov. 22. As the interview was wrapping up, Denzel Washington burst into the room.
“It all started with me,” Denzel jokingly declared, as the other three howled with laughter. “Then I had two sons, and before I knew it, I was unemployed!”
Denzel, joined by his producing partner Todd Black, said it was his son’s idea to direct “The Piano Lesson.” The 2022 Broadway production was based on Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play with much of the forged, including John David.
“Malcolm said he had an idea,” Denzel recalls. “He said, ‘Let me put something together.’ So he made a short film. I looked at him like, ‘Wow, OK. You want to make a film? This is great, make a film.’”
But Malcolm didn’t immediately resolve to do it. He told his father, “Let me see if I can watch the movie first.” He began working on the script and eventually co-wrote it with Virgil Williams (“Mudbound”).
“At first I was like, ‘Watch the movie?’ But now I get it,” Denzel says. “He’s a real filmmaker. He took his time and didn’t jump right in.”
While John David, the 40-year-old star of “BlacKkKlansman” and “Tenet,” has established himself as a significant actor in Hollywood, Malcolm, a graduate of the American Film Institute’s directing program, is just entering the highlight. “He knew what he wanted,” Black says. “And he wasn’t afraid to connect with people who knew more than he did.”
Throughout the making of “The Piano Lesson,” Denzel largely kept his distance, allowing Malcolm to do his work. Yet his passion for Wilson’s art permeated the entire production.
“He’s a huge fan of August Wilson, and it’s a really important part of his legacy to continue telling August’s story,” Malcolm says. “His main thing with all of us was to keep that focus: We’re here to honor one of our greats.”
“The Piano Lesson” is a Washington family film in other ways, too. Malcolm and John David’s mother, Pauletta Washington, plays Mama Ola. The film is devoted to their mother.
“I started with the clear idea that it was about fathers and sons,” Malcolm says. “As we were making the film, I just started seeing this mother-daughter story, and my mom is a huge inspiration to me. I’ve always seen my mom as connected to Berniece’s story.”
Malcolm’s sisters are also involved. Olivia Washington plays Mama Ola as a young woman, and Katia Washington is an executive producer. Ironically, their father, Denzel, is nearly the only person in the family not in the film. But Malcolm, wanting all the members of the family to be represented in the film, asked his father to take part in a brief voiceover.
“Am I in this?” Denzel asks. “I recorded something. I didn’t get credit. Did I get credit? I don’t think so!”