The Piano Lesson: Malcolm and John David Washington launch film

The Piano Lesson has become the latest August Wilson play to be adapted for the screen by Denzel Washington and his family.

But while the Hollywood star has directed, starred in or produced film adaptations such as Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in recent years, it’s his two sons who are taking centre stage for the latest screen adaptation.

The Piano Lesson is directed by filmmaker Malcolm Washington, while his actor brother John David Washington plays one of the leading roles. Their father Denzel serves as producer.

Speaking ahead of the film’s UK premiere at the London Film Festival, John David Washington described the film’s team as “fearless” in their efforts to produce a unique interpretation of the 1987 play.

Malcolm and John David Washington’s two sisters are also involved in The Piano Lesson – Katia Washington serves as executive producer, while Olivia Washington, who recently starred opposite Kit Harington in the West End show Slave Play, has an acting role.

Speaking at the Telluride Film Festival last month, actress and Denzel’s wife Pauletta Pearson Washington acknowledged the film was a family affair, joking: “All my babies are involved in this.”

The movie could also see actress Danielle Deadwyler join the Oscars race, two years after she was widely considered to have been unfairly snubbed following her acclaimed performance in Till.

Set in 1936 Pittsburgh in the aftermath of the Great Depression, the Netflix film follows a brother and sister who disagree about what to do with a family heirloom piano they have inherited.

Daughter Berniece (Deadwyler) has not played the piano since the siblings’ mother died. Instead, it sits in her living room and serves as a reminder of what her ancestors endured as slaves.

The faces of earlier generations of the family have been carved into the piano’s wood. But while Berniece refuses even to move the piano, her brother Boy Willie (John David Washington) wants to sell it in order to buy land.

Speaking at Deadline’s Contender’s London event, John David Washington described the cast and production team’s attitude as “fearless”.

“It was so fearless because, right away, we were like, OK, we’re making our film,” he said. “There’s a lot of versions of this story that exist, and this one is ours.

“We’re going to pass it through our filter of honesty and truth and vulnerability, put ourselves on the line, and fine-tune it to the point that, when you get to the end, the spirit of it is still there.”

Deadwyler also praised Malcolm Washington, saying the director “gave us free rein, particularly during rehearsals, and those ideas and the way that we engaged each other enabled him to craft whatever he did with the camera”.

The new adaptation of The Piano Lesson could become part of the coming film awards race. Washington’s two other August Wilson adaptations, Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, were Oscar nominated in 2017 and 2021 respectively.

Wilson was a US playwright known for chronicling the lives and experiences of black Americans. His other works include Jitney, Two Trains Running and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.

The Piano Lesson was revived on Broadway in 2022, and many of the actors who appeared in it on stage have transferred to the film.

However, Till star Deadwyler has joined the cast for the screen adaptation, and many critics have singled out her performance for praise.

“While most of the cast is the same that appeared on Broadway, the movie is undeniably Deadwyler’s show,” said Variety’s Peter Debruge.

The actress “anchors the film with a performance of tremendous courage and heft”, agreed Entertainment Weekly’s Maureen Lee Lenker.

Deadwyler was widely expected to take one of the five best actress slots when that year’s Oscar nominations were announced in January 2023.

However, a combination of events meant she missed out on a place in the category, such a successful grassroots campaign to score Andrea Riseborough a nomination and Michelle Williams’ decision to submit herself as a lead actress instead of supporting.

That means The Piano Lesson could be seen by Academy voters as a second chance to recognise Deadwyler’s work, potentially placing her in this year’s best supporting actress race.

As a whole, the film has received broadly positive review from critics at the festivals it has played so far, although some were more lukewarm in their response.

“It’s clear that Washington takes the task of adapting Wilson quite seriously, and there’s much to admire about The Piano Lesson,” said the Hollywood Reporter’s Lovia Gyarkye.

“But the duty can also be limiting, and there are times when The Piano Lesson is too faithful, struggling to shake the spectre of the stage.”

“Malcolm Washington shows himself to be a capable director, expanding this story in the ways he can while staying true to the source material,” wrote Collider’s Ross Bonaime.

The Wrap’s Carla Renata said the film “serves as a reminder that generational wealth is not just monetary, but emotionally and genetically tied to our ancestors”.

But IndieWire’s Caleb Hammond said: “While this version contains its fair share of standout sequences along with Oscar-ready performances, the film never fully coalesces into an effective, singular, emotional narrative.”

The Piano Lesson marks Malcolm Washington’s directorial debut. In an interview with Variety last month, his father Denzel said: “I’m extremely proud of Malcolm.

“From early on, I knew he had a vision. I’ve learned through my son the difference between making a film and being a filmmaker. I’ve directed four films… but I didn’t know what to do necessarily. Malcolm has studied filmmaking. He’s an academic.

“When he was younger, he would read my scripts and ask insightful questions. His mother is a huge film buff, so he – like all my kids – grew up watching movies. He always had a desire to make films, and now he’s doing it.”

While Malcolm has stayed behind the camera, viewers may be more familiar with John David Washington, the actor who played the lead role in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and has also appeared in Amsterdam, BlacKkKlansman and Malcolm & Marie opposite Zendaya.