The Piano Lesson (1995) (TV)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Lloyd Richards

Writers (WGA):

August Wilson (play)
August Wilson (teleplay)

Release Date:

5 February 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

To their family, it meant more than a piano... it was their legacy and their future.

Plot:

1930's Pittsburgh, a brother comes home to claim "my half of the piano", a family heirloom; but his sister is not wanting to part with it...

Plot Keywords:

Piano | African American | 1930s | Estranged Family Member | Elevator

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Charles S. Dutton	...	Boy Willie (as Charles Dutton)
Alfre Woodard	...	Berniece Charles
Carl Gordon	...	Doaker
Tommy Hollis	...	Avery
Lou Myers	...	Wining Boy
Courtney B. Vance	...	Lymon
Zelda Harris	...	Maretha
Rosalyn Coleman	...	Grace
Tommy Lafitte	...	Ace
Lynne Innerst	...	Miss Ophelia
Harold Surratt	...	Papa Willie Boy
Elva Branson	...	Mama Berniece
Tim Hartman	...	Sutter
Ben Tatar	...	Watermelon Man
Alice Eisner	...	Watermelon Lady (as Alice Gerber Eisner)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:PG

Company:

Craig Anderson Productions

Trivia:

Charles S. Dutton was nominated for the 1990 Tony Award (New York City) for Actor in a Drama for "The Piano Lesson" for the role of Boy Willie and recreated it in this production.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Doaker, Wining Boy, Boy Willie and Lymon are sitting at the kitchen table drinking and singing, the level of alcohol rises in their glasses and the bottles between shots.

There's a reason why this is made for TV

This is a TV film based off a play. It should have stayed a play, because it just plain isn't good enough to be a movie. It's a very hokey sort of piece, mostly because of the bad acting and the weak ending.

Hmmm, what else can I say about this film in order to fill up the required minimum? I don't really know. It's a mundane sort of thing that your teacher makes you watch in theater class because (s)he can't show the really good stuff (or because (s)he has really tame tastes in what is considered engaging drama).

I'll admit, this movie is socially significant, and August Wilson did a fine job with the original storyline. But this made-for-TV thing is just verbatim crap.

Final grade: 4/10