American Fiction

I really enjoyed American Fiction and related to the main character more than I ever expected.

The main character is Black. I’m white. He’s a professor in academia; I’m a CTO in the private sector. He’s an author by trade; I’m an engineer. He’s in his 40s; I’m in my 30s. We’re both single. We both have high expectations of ourselves and those around us. We don’t want to give in to mediocrity. We’re annoyed at the world around us. We get frustrated by incompetence and stupidity.

If the paragraph above resonates with you, you’ll love this movie. Also, please reach out to me so we can be friends.

I discovered this film through Tim Ferriss’s blog. I probably would have glossed over it if Tim hadn’t mentioned that he was rewatching it. I’m really glad he did.

This movie is about much more than race and color. It explores the inner turmoil of accepting that society often prefers simple, low-quality, “low IQ” messaging. It’s true. And it’s the path to success.

I don’t like it, but it doesn’t matter what I personally want or like.

There are three quotes from the film that perfectly capture how I feel about it:

“Your father was a genius. Geniuses are lonely because they can’t connect with the rest of us.” YouTube Link

• This movie exceeded all my expectations.

“Potential is what you see when what’s in front of you is not enough.” YouTube Link

“You think relating to others is beyond you.”

I couldn’t find a clip, but this was paraphrased from a quote during Jeffrey and his girlfriend’s final scene together.