On September 30, 2020, it was announced that Denzel Washington is planning a new film adaptation for Netflix. Filming is expected to begin Summer 2021 in Pittsburgh.[4]
Boy Willie (Charles S. Dutton) and his friend Lymon (Courtney B. Vance) travel from Mississippi to Pittsburgh, where he wishes his sister Berniece (Alfre Woodard) will give him the family's heirloom piano so that he can sell it to buy land from Mr. Sutter (Tim Hartman), a descendant of the family that once owned Willie's own ancestors as slaves. The piano itself had at one time belonged to the wife of the original Sutter, the white former owner of their family... and decades earlier, Berniece and Boy Willie's grandfather had, at the slave master's instructions, carved the black family's African tribal history and American slave history into the piano's surface.
When Boy Willie arrives, his Uncle Doaker (Carl Gordon) tells Willie that Berniece won't part with the piano. Berniece's boyfriend Avery (Tommy Hollis) and her Uncle Wining Boy (Lou Myers) also attempt for reasons of their own to get Berniece to sell. As selling the piano would be like turning her back on their people and their past, Berniece continues to refuse.
DVD Verdict wrote that the "excellent writing leaps off the screen." While noting that most TV films seem geared "towards the lowest common Nielsen family demographic", they write that "something crafted, filled with inordinate drama and rich, dimensional characters just blares across the airwaves, filling up your deepest, hungry cinematic aesthetic," and that this recognition is the case for the Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning play The Piano Lesson. They noted that Wilson has been long known for "profound, deeply moving portraits of African Americans in the United States," and that he "understands the issues facing minorities better than most modern playwrights do." They called the film a "brilliant analog," and a "fable of magic realism."[3]
TV Guide wrote that the film is "a wrenching but flawed cable adaptation of August Wilson's play," and that while the film was another Wilson "folk tale about the legacy of slavery," that "Sadly, this particular production fails to make any psychological or ectoplasmic ghosts come alive for the audience." They noted this was not because the film did not make the playwright's message clear, the problem was in "its obviousness" in that Wilson belabored his points.[2]
^Bernadette McCallion (2012). . Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
^ ab. TV Guide. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
^ abBill Gibron (February 12, 2003). "review: The Piano Lesson". DVD Verdict. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
^Buchanan, Kyle (September 30, 2020). "First Look: Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'". New York Times. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
^"August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson"". Peabody Awards. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
piano, lesson, 1995, film, piano, lesson, 1995, american, television, film, based, play, piano, lesson, august, wilson, produced, hallmark, hall, fame, film, originally, aired, february, 1995, directed, lloyd, richards, film, stars, charles, dutton, alfre, woo. The Piano Lesson is a 1995 American television film based on the play The Piano Lesson by August Wilson Produced by Hallmark Hall of Fame the film originally aired on CBS on February 5 1995 Directed by Lloyd Richards the film stars Charles S Dutton and Alfre Woodard 1 2 and relies on most of its cast from the original Broadway production 3 The Piano LessonGenreDramaMusicBased onThe Piano Lessonby August WilsonScreenplay byAugust WilsonDirected byLloyd RichardsStarringCharles S DuttonAlfre WoodardCarl GordonTommy HollisMusic byDwight AndrewsStephen James TaylorCountry of originUnited StatesOriginal languageEnglishProductionProducersAugust WilsonBrent ShieldsCinematographyPaul ElliottEditorJim OliverRunning time95 minutesProduction companiesCraig Anderson ProductionsHallmark Hall of Fame ProductionsReleaseOriginal networkCBSOriginal releaseFebruary 5 1995 1995 02 05 On September 30 2020 it was announced that Denzel Washington is planning a new film adaptation for Netflix Filming is expected to begin Summer 2021 in Pittsburgh 4 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Recognition 3 1 Awards and nominations 4 References 5 External linksPlot editBoy Willie Charles S Dutton and his friend Lymon Courtney B Vance travel from Mississippi to Pittsburgh where he wishes his sister Berniece Alfre Woodard will give him the family s heirloom piano so that he can sell it to buy land from Mr Sutter Tim Hartman a descendant of the family that once owned Willie s own ancestors as slaves The piano itself had at one time belonged to the wife of the original Sutter the white former owner of their family and decades earlier Berniece and Boy Willie s grandfather had at the slave master s instructions carved the black family s African tribal history and American slave history into the piano s surface When Boy Willie arrives his Uncle Doaker Carl Gordon tells Willie that Berniece won t part with the piano Berniece s boyfriend Avery Tommy Hollis and her Uncle Wining Boy Lou Myers also attempt for reasons of their own to get Berniece to sell As selling the piano would be like turning her back on their people and their past Berniece continues to refuse Cast editCharles S Dutton as Boy Willie Alfre Woodard as Berniece Charles Carl Gordon as Doaker Tommy Hollis as Avery Lou Myers as Wining Boy Courtney B Vance as Lymon Zelda Harris as Maretha Tim Hartman as Sutter Rosalyn Coleman as Grace Tommy Lafitte as Ace Lynne Innerst as Miss Ophelia Harold Surratt as Papa Willie Boy Elva Branson as Mama Berniece Ben Tatar as Watermelon Man Alice Eisner as Watermelon Lady Bob Tracey as NolanderRecognition editDVD Verdict wrote that the excellent writing leaps off the screen While noting that most TV films seem geared towards the lowest common Nielsen family demographic they write that something crafted filled with inordinate drama and rich dimensional characters just blares across the airwaves filling up your deepest hungry cinematic aesthetic and that this recognition is the case for the Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation of August Wilson s Pulitzer Prize winning play The Piano Lesson They noted that Wilson has been long known for profound deeply moving portraits of African Americans in the United States and that he understands the issues facing minorities better than most modern playwrights do They called the film a brilliant analog and a fable of magic realism 3 TV Guide wrote that the film is a wrenching but flawed cable adaptation of August Wilson s play and that while the film was another Wilson folk tale about the legacy of slavery that Sadly this particular production fails to make any psychological or ectoplasmic ghosts come alive for the audience They noted this was not because the film did not make the playwright s message clear the problem was in its obviousness in that Wilson belabored his points 2 Awards and nominations edit Year Award Category Nominee s Result Ref 1995 Peabody Awards CBS and Craig Anderson Productions Inc in association with Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions Inc Won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Made for Television Movie Richard Welsh Craig Anderson August Wilson Robert Huddleston and Brent Shields Nominated 6 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special Charles S Dutton NominatedOutstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special Alfre Woodard NominatedOutstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Miniseries or a Special Lloyd Richards NominatedOutstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Special August Wilson NominatedOutstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction for a Miniseries or a Special James William Newport Tim Saternow and Diana Stoughton NominatedOutstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Miniseries or a Special Vicki Sanchez NominatedOutstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Miniseries or a Special Single Camera Production Jim Oliver NominatedOutstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Miniseries or a Special Michael C Moore David E Fluhr John Asman and Sam Black Nominated1996 Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movie of the Week Mini Series or Specials Won 7 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television Charles S Dutton Nominated 8 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Television Movie or Mini Series NominatedOutstanding Actor in a Television Movie or Mini Series Charles S Dutton NominatedOutstanding Actress in a Television Movie or Mini Series Alfre Woodard WonScreen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Won 9 References edit Bernadette McCallion 2012 The Piano Lesson 1995 Movies amp TV Dept The New York Times Archived from the original on November 4 2012 Retrieved April 9 2011 a b The Piano Lesson TV Guide Archived from the original on June 4 2012 Retrieved April 10 2011 a b Bill Gibron February 12 2003 review The Piano Lesson DVD Verdict Retrieved April 9 2011 Buchanan Kyle September 30 2020 First Look Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey s Black Bottom New York Times Retrieved October 3 2020 August Wilson s The Piano Lesson Peabody Awards Retrieved October 20 2023 The Piano Lesson Hallmark Hall of Fame Academy of Television Arts amp Sciences Retrieved October 20 2023 Nominees Winners IMDb Retrieved May 5 2019 The Piano Lesson Golden Globe Awards Retrieved October 20 2023 The 2nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards Retrieved October 20 2023 External links editThe Piano Lesson at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Piano Lesson 1995 film amp oldid 1181002119, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
