Charlie Gallagher

I was very excited to see American Fiction following the trailer. Post-Covid I see maybe 2 movies a year in theaters and if Oppenheimer and American Fiction are all I see for awhile, I'm batting 1000. Jeffrey Wright is fantastic and the story is an interesting blend of "what have I set in motion?" adventure and slice-of-life for Monk, his family, and the complexities of their relationships. The plot about his writing career and the book he pens out of spite doesn't end up quite where you would guess and it says a lot about the source material's author that our protagonist's convictions are challenged rather than reaffirmed. The family drama is heart-wrenchingly believable. People who came up with wealth, but resentment, discontent and favoritism can be just as miserable and strained as those trauma bonded by poverty or instability. I think that is the central message of the film. Not only does everyone have problems, but no one's problems are more or less legitimate, stressful, or exhausting. Not EVEN the ones you feel are problematic or trite, but ESPECIALLY those experiences and no one's story should be discounted.