While still a ways off, many are already look to the Academy Awards and what features might already be making a case for a nomination, or even become an early favourite to come away with the esteemed Oscar statue. At this time, the general the frontrunners seem to be Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things. Now, another production must be added to this list, as debuting writer and director Cord Jefferson has nabbed the coveted People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival for his satirical comedy American Fiction.
This award is widely regarded as strong early indicator of a potential Best Picture nominee at the Oscars, with the last twelve People’s Choice winners earning a spot in what many argue is the most Academy’s most prestigious award category, three of which came away with it. Sure, some of these winners were near-slam dunks for nominations at the very least, such as 12 Years a Slave, La La Land, Room, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. But TIFF’s top award also foresaw the successes of darks horses such as Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit, which was nominated for Best Picture and won Best Original Screenplay, while Green Book won both awards despite controversy surrounding its problematic and reductive approach to race relations…not that Jojo Rabbit wasn’t controversial, considering its main character is a boy in Nazi Germany whose imaginary friend is Hitler.
But I digress.
American Fiction is now thrust amongst the powerhouse talent already dominating the awards circuit. Yet, I must confess, this film was not on my radar for the award, as evidenced by my list last week on The Most Anticipated Films at TIFF 2023. In fact, it seems many journalists slept on the acclaimed feature, as it rarely appeared on their own lists of “must-see” films at TIFF, and when it did it was usually relegated to the rapid-fire appendages listing “Other Movies to Watch”. Now, American Fiction and Cord Jefferson demand our attention, whose satire centres on a novelist (played by Jeffrey Wright) worn out by the “tired and offensive tropes” of “Black” entertainment, and so he decides to write an excessive piece as a frustrated response, only to be thrown into the very culture he claims to despise.
It is certainly an interesting premise, which is to be expected from a former writer for the outstanding comedy series The Good Place. However, it will be just as interesting to see how American Fiction tracks with film juries as the awards season continues, but if one thing’s for certain, it’s that I will be keeping a close eye on Cord Jefferson and his debut feature as the Oscars grow ever closer.