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The Piano Lesson

Play trailer Poster for The Piano Lesson PG,  1995,  1h 35m,  Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist - - 4 Reviews Tomatometer 76% 250+ Ratings Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 4 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Boy Willie (Charles Dutton), a sharecropper, travels to Pittsburgh in the 1930s hoping that his sister, Berniece Charles (Alfre Woodard), will let him have the piano that their enslaved uncle engraved in pre-Civil War Mississippi. Willie hopes to parlay proceeds from selling the instrument into ownership of the land his uncle once worked. But when Berniece has other ideas, it becomes clear that the piano represents very different things to the siblings.

Critics Reviews

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Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Aug 1, 2005
2/5
Sarah Chauncey Reel.com Jun 8, 2004
4/5
Jamie Gillies Apollo Guide Jun 19, 2003
70/100
There is an element of magical realism to this story, not unlike Toni Morrison's Beloved, and that comes across well. Go to Full Review
Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice Aug 30, 2002
Passionate screen adaptation of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play about two siblings forced to clarify their values about tradition, money and desire. Go to Full Review
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The Piano Lesson

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Lloyd Richards

Director

Charles S. Dutton

Boy Willie

Alfre Woodard

Berniece Charles

Carl Gordon

Doaker

Tommy Hollis

Avery

Lou Myers

Wining Boy

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The Piano Lesson

The Piano Lesson (1995) The Piano Lesson (1995) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Boy Willie (Charles Dutton), a sharecropper, travels to Pittsburgh in the 1930s hoping that his sister, Berniece Charles (Alfre Woodard), will let him have the piano that their enslaved uncle engraved in pre-Civil War Mississippi. Willie hopes to parlay proceeds from selling the instrument into ownership of the land his uncle once worked. But when Berniece has other ideas, it becomes clear that the piano represents very different things to the siblings.
Director
Lloyd Richards
Producer
August Wilson
Screenwriter
August Wilson
Production Co
Signboard Hill Productions, Craig Anderson Productions, Hearst Entertainment, Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions
Rating
PG, TV-PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (TV)
Feb 5, 1995
Runtime
1h 35m
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