Review of “The Piano Lesson”: A ghost story with cross-generational bonds

An heirloom piano takes on immense significance for a family at August Wilson’s in 1936 Pittsburgh “The piano lesson.” Generational ties also shape the film adaptation, in which Malcolm Washington follows in the footsteps of his father Denzel Washington and helps bring the entire “Pittsburgh Cycle” – a series of ten plays – to the screen.

Malcolm Washington didn’t start from scratch in his successful feature film debut. He hired much of the cast of the recent Broadway revival, including Samuel L. Jackson (Doaker Charles), his brother, John David Washington (Boy Willie), Ray Fisher (Lymon) and Michael Potts (Whining Boy). Berniece, played by Danielle Brooks in the piece is now beautifully portrayed by Danielle Deadwyler. One can imagine that with such rich material and a cast for whom it comes naturally, it’s hard to go wrong. Jackson’s own history with the play dates back to its original performance in 1987 as Boy Willie.

It’s not exactly easy to add a cinematic touch to a piece, but Malcolm Washington was up to the task. His film opens up the world of the Charles family beyond the living room. In fact, it is this adaptation that Washington co-wrote “Mudbound” Screenwriter Virgil Williams goes beyond Wilson’s text to show us the past and origins of the intricately engraved piano at the center of all the commotion. It even opens with a big, action-packed set piece set in 1911 where the piano is stolen from a white family’s home. Another fleshes out Doaker’s monologue, in which he explains the torturous history of the matter to the uninitiated, Fisher’s Lymon, and the audience. While it might have been nice to have the camera focused on Jackson, who was such a great, grounding presence throughout, the good news is that he also really lights up the narrative.

Wilson purists will certainly have an opinion on these artistic choices; But they let the film breathe a little and offered it some respite from the living room with the looming piano. And most of the film takes place right there, in 1936. Boy Willie and Lymon end up uninvited at Berniece and her Uncle Doaker’s house in Pittsburgh early one morning. It’s a family reunion with an agenda: They’ve driven north from Mississippi with a truck full of watermelons, and Willie, Berniece’s younger brother, wants to sell the watermelons and then the piano. For him, the dusty old instrument represents a chance to leave the past behind and start a future. He wants to use the money to buy the land that his enslaved ancestors farmed. Berniece has other ideas about the piano, namely keeping it. It is a connection to the past, not an anchor. Plus, it could be haunted.

Yes, “The Piano Lesson,” in theaters Friday and streaming on Netflix Nov. 22, isn’t just a meditation on family history. It’s also a literal ghost story, with creaks, ghosts and shadows lurking when the piano is disturbed. Deadwyler is electrifying as Berniece, who bears the brunt of the haunting, walks on eggshells in her life, trying to care for her young daughter and stay away from men who assume they will be fulfilled with just one person by their side can. Now she has to deal with her somewhat manic brother, who, as Doaker wisely reminds, may actually, annoyingly, be right. Maybe the film academy will make up for it her snub of her appearance in “Till” with this twist.

Regardless of your familiarity with Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle, The Piano Lesson is a worthwhile, compelling and moving watch filled with charismatic performers. Talent isn’t always genetic, but the Washington family is committed to proving otherwise. And with “Fences”“Ma Rainey’s Black Butt” and now with The Piano Lesson they’re making a statement with a bold and ambitious project that’s probably long overdue. Only seven more.

“The Piano Lesson,” a Netflix release in theaters Friday and streaming Nov. 22, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for “strong language, violent content, some suggestive references and smoking.” evaluated. Running time: 125 minutes. Three out of four stars.