Malcolm and John David Washington, sons of the legendary actor Denzel Washington, are due to be lauded for their work on the Netflix original film The Piano Lesson by The 60th Chicago International Film Festival. Their father also applauded Malcolm's work on the film. The historical drama is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by August Wilson. This marks the third Wilson adaptation produced by Denzel after 2016’s Fences in which he starred opposite Viola Davis and 2020’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom which also starred Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman.
What The Piano Lesson Is About
Netflix’s adaptation of The Piano Lesson takes place amid the Great Depression in Pittsburgh and follows the family of Doaker Charles. Doaker is a former railroad worker who often recounts the history of the century-old piano and how he came to own it. The central plot follows Charles attempting to play the mediator between his children Bernice and Boy Willie who are torn on the piano. While his daughter wants to preserve the historical value and legacy of the family heirloom, his son would rather sell it for a large price.
Denzel Washington And ChiFilmFest Praise Malcolm
Denzel was proud of his son Malcolm for shepherding the historical project. While on the red carpet with People, the two-time Oscar-winning legend gushed “I'm happy that people will get a chance to see what a filmmaker Malcolm is. I'm excited about our future together with August Wilson.” The Netflix drama is set to headline the 60th Chicago International Film Festival and Malcolm is already set to receive their Breakthrough Award.
John David will receive their Spotlight Award for what the festival called a transfixing performance. Their family has a history at the film festival as the 2012 Robert Zemeckis-directed Flight, a drama in which Denzel played the drug-addled airline pilot William “Whip” Whitaker, closed the festival.
The Stacked Cast and Crew of The Piano Lesson
The Piano Lesson serves as the directorial debut of Malcolm Washington who also co-wrote the film’s screenplay with Mudbound’s Virgil Williams. Samuel L. Jackson will play Doaker Charles while Saturn Award-winning Tenet star John David Washington has been confirmed to play Boy Willie. Till actress Danielle Deadwyler and frequent Zack Snyder collaborator Ray Fisher are cast as Berniece and Lymon respectively.
Aside from Denzel’s involvement as a producer, it seems the whole family came out to show their support. Per Deadline, his wife Pauletta plays the role of Mama Ola while their daughter Katia Washington is an executive producer on the film. Corey Hawkins, Danielle Brooks, and musical mogul Erykah Badu are all signed on to appear in the movie. The film will be released in select theaters on November 8 before dropping officially on Netflix on November 22.
Final Thoughts
It's incredibly charming to see how much love Denzel has for his children and how quick they are to follow in their father's footsteps. While The Piano Lesson marks Malcolm's first big-budget feature film, I'm sure his father visited the set often to offer support and share a note or two to keep him grounded.
John David has proven to work well in both independent films and with large ensemble casts so he is sure to hold his own. The show-stopping talent he'll work alongside is also capable of strong, captivating performances. I'm sure the film will continue the tradition of the Washington family putting out excellent August Wilson adaptations.
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