Inside first-time writer-director Cord Jefferson’s starry, satirical festival darling that’s generating serious awards buzz.

It is, perhaps, not the first thought that comes to mind when discussing a crowd-pleasing comedy.

After all, in the wrong hands, racial satire can go sideways… real quick.

Entertainment Weekly Awardist Oscar Kickoff “American Fiction” Cover

‘American Fiction’ stars Sterling K. Brown, Jeffrey Wright, and Tracee Ellis Ross on the cover of ‘Entertainment Weekly’.Cover Illustration by Mark Harris; Photos: Claire Fogler/Orion Pictures

ButAmerican Fictionis indeed crowd-pleasing.

Not bad for writer-director Cord Jeffersons first outing as a filmmaker.

Its just people who like to go to the movies.

AMERICAN FICTION Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, Tracee Ellis Ross as his sister Lisa Ellison and Leslie Uggams as their mother Agnes

Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Leslie Uggams in ‘American Fiction’.Amazon/Orion Pictures

Cover Illustration by Mark Harris; Photos: Claire Fogler/Orion Pictures

Ironically (or fittingly?

So that includes slavery, inner-city poverty, civil rights abuses, violence, drug dealing… Jefferson explains.

And [Everetts] wondering: Why are these the only things that people see as being Black life?

Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison and Sterling K. Brown as Cliff

Jeffrey Wright and Sterling K. Brown in ‘American Fiction’.Amazon/Orion Pictures

Why is anything that doesnt resemble these kinds of standard stories not considered black enough?

American Fictionexplores those questions through acerbic protagonist Thelonious Monk Ellison (Jeffrey Wright).

Its all meant as a joke.

Myra Lucretia Taylor stars as Lorraine, Tracee Ellis Ross as Lisa and Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in writer/director Cord Jefferson’s AMERICAN FICTION An Orion Pictures Release Photo credit: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

Myra Lucretia Taylor, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Jeffrey Wright in ‘American Fiction’.Amazon/Orion Pictures

Its got a meta element woven through it.

Its a complex stew.

And packaging all that into a thoroughly entertaining movie is, he adds, the real magic trick.

Issa Rae as Sintara Golden and Nicole Kempskie as Sintara

Issa Rae in ‘American Fiction’.Amazon/Orion Pictures

We were talking about directors for the episodes, and he said, Have you ever thought about directing?

And [Ansari] was like, I didnt go to film school.

I went to NYU for business, and I got nominated for a Golden Globe for directing.

AMERICAN FICTION Adam Brody as Wiley and Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison

Adam Brody and Jeffrey Wright in ‘American Fiction’.Amazon/Orion Pictures

Still, Jefferson knew directing would be a difficult, arduous labor.

If he decided to put himself through that, he needed to verify it was a labor of love.

Once he readErasure, he knew hed found the right project.

In adapting Everetts novel, Jefferson was determined to maintain what he loved about it in the first place.

Theres a certain textual playfulness from the book, Jefferson explains.Theres some experimentation and some surreality in the book.

Jeffrey Wright is a national treasure.

Why has it been 30 years since I saw him in a lead?

The financiers came up with more money.

Other actors were eager to work with Jeffrey.

It was just like, Oh my God, Jeffrey Wright?

I would love to work with Jeffrey Wright!

So the process really just became streamlined.

Jefferson felt as if he had accumulated this crazy embarrassment of riches.

Or as Johnson puts it: Every single person in it is just stone-cold amazing.

Sterling, Issa, and Tracee, all of them Im thrilled when they pop up.

You get that kind of combination together, and thats the golden ticket in terms of casting.

When I found this novel, I just felt it so deep in my bones, he says.

I know this story.

I understand the characters, I understand the emotions.

I understand the story from back to front in a really, really personal way.

I understand it, and I can build around that.

‘American Fiction’ director Cord Jefferson

Jeffrey Wright is a national treasure."

And that life is neither comedy nor tragedy.

Its sort of frequently both of those things at once.

I wanted to double-check that the movie didnt collapse under the weight of the satire.

I never wanted to become farce.

But in Wright, the novice auteur had a willing and eager collaborator.

We never wanted it to be like, Bill Cosby’s Pull up your pants respectability politics.

I never wanted this film to feel didactic, Jefferson adds.

I just want people to come in and have fun and laugh, maybe laugh at themselves.

Because I cant stop thinking about it.

I was so afraid.

I was so afraid that they were going to dislike it, Jefferson recounts.

You made a piece of art that stands alone.And that meant the world to me.

Seems like Jefferson is adapting well… all puns intended.