A novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to di... Read allA novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.A novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 62 wins & 166 nominations total
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn a 2023 interview with Esquire, Cord Jefferson explained his approach to a key scene in the film and how the actors elevated it in unexpected ways: "We've all seen that scene of the writer pounding the keyboard frantically, then taking a big sip of coffee and getting back to it. That's how you depict somebody intensely writing. But I thought, 'We can't have that. It's tropey and silly, and it doesn't get the audience's minds going.' So why not have these characters manifest in front of him? When I wrote that scene, I wrote the language to be very silly. It had to be ridiculous so that everybody could see how stupid this book is and what a sham it is. Then we got Keith David and Okieriete Onaodowan, who are both such tremendous actors. All of the sudden, it wasn't silly anymore. They made it seem like the book might be good. I love what the scene became in their hands: suddenly you're questioning whether or not the book is good, which is evidence that something as ridiculous as this book could become a hit."
- GoofsIn the beginning of the movie Monk walks out a building whilst being on the phone and holding a coffee cup with a vertical print of the brand Dunkin Donut. Seconds later when he gets into a car, the logo on the cup is horizontally printed.
- Quotes
Sintara Golden: Potential is what people see when they think what's in front of them isn't good enough.
- ConnectionsFeatured in 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards (2024)
- SoundtracksWithout You
Written by Aubrey Johnson
Performed by Ace Spectrum
Published by Ace Spec Music
Courtesy of Mojo Music and Media
Featured review
Absolutely brilliant up until the disappointing ending
I thought this movie absolutely soared with brilliance up until the last two minutes, when it crashed with a thud. This was a real heartbreaker because up until that ending, I thought I was watching a masterpiece. It reminded me of when I was a kid reading a Superman comic book and being really absorbed in the story, only to find at the end that the whole story was something Lois Lane dreamed after she ate ice cream and pickles. Basically, the story is about a black college professor and novelist whose work is ignored because it isn't "black" enough, meaning it's not about drug addicts, pregnant teenagers and racist cops. As a joke he writes the kind of book that publishers want under a pseudonym. The book becomes a smash hit. He'd like to just stop the whole hoax, but his mother is stricken with Alzheimer's and needs round-the-clock care, which is extremely expensive. He needs the money. Up until the dud ending, this is a wry and sly work of social commentary that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's still worth seeing, but could have been so much more. The script is intelligent and compelling (up until that awful ending). Acting, direction, and technical elements are all first rate. Jeffrey Wright as the professor, gives a standout performance in the kind of role we virtually never see in a movie. Also excellent are Leslie Uggams as his mother, Myra Lucretia Taylor as their maid, John Ortiz as his agent, and Erika Alexander as his girlfriend. Actually, the whole cast is great. Because of the ideas involved, I'd say the movie is worth seeing. But be prepared for a disappointing ending.
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- Sees All
- Dec 20, 2023
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Американське чтиво
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $21,098,470
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $224,469
- Dec 17, 2023
- Gross worldwide
- $22,483,370
- Runtime1 hour 57 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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