WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for The Piano Lesson.
Netflix’s new historical drama The piano lesson features a significant character named Crawley (Matrell Smith) who puts a spanner in the works between Bernice and Boy Willie. Directed by Malcolm Washington, The piano lesson is a film adaptation of the play of the same name written by August Wilsonwho also wrote the original play that inspired the Oscar-winning film Fences. The piano lesson The cast is led by John David Washington (Principle, The Creator),Samuel L. Jackson (pulp Fiction, The Hateful Eight), Danielle Deadwyler (The more they fall, Eleven Station) and Ray Fisher (True Detective, Justice League).
Although the film and play are deeply rooted in American history, The piano lesson It is not based on a true story or true people. The piano lesson It received strong reviews, earning an impressive Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 90%. The piano lesson Marks Malcolm Washington’s feature film directorial debutthe youngest son of Denzel Washington who directs his older brother, John David Washington, in the film. At the end of The piano lessonWashington’s Boy Willie and Deadwyler’s Berniece are forced to face the ghosts of their family’s past in the form of a slave owner named Sutter.
Crawley was Berniece’s husband who was shot and killed
A local sheriff shot and killed Crawley over stolen lumber
During several heated and emotional moments in The Piano Lesson, Berniece, Boy Willie, and Lymon discuss the incident that happened years earlier that left a man named Crawley dead. Crawley was Berniece’s husband and father of her daughter Maretha. During one of the more recent occasions when Boy Willie came to see Berniece, he and Lymon asked Crawley for help transporting a load of wood. Although the circumstances surrounding how Boy Willie acquired the wood remain ambiguous, Crawley was eventually shot and killed by the local sheriff after pulling out a gun in the police.
It is more than likely that Boy Willie and Lymon stole the lumber supply, as well as the watermelon cart with which they arrived at Doaker’s Philadelphia home. Boy Willie even admits that he has been known to commit robberies and sell stolen goods for profit. Lymon also went along with the ordeal and was seen laughing with Boy Willie about making money selling the watermelons they almost certainly stole. Berniece is not as concerned about Boy Willie’s criminal record as she is about the bad influence he has had on her and her family. She blames Boy Willie for implicating Crawley in his crimes.
Why Berniece blames Boy Willie for Crawley’s death
She believes Boy Willie was a bad influence on her family
For Berniece, it is impossible to separate Boy Willie from Crawley’s death. She cannot accept that Crawley voluntarily chose to help Boy Willie and Lymon in transporting the stolen lumber and understood the risks of doing so, which is why he had a gun on his person in the first place. Berniece blames Boy Willie for involving Crawley in the first place but Boy Willie and Lymon refuse to take responsibility for Crawley’s death. Berniece obviously comes from a place of deep pain and uses Boy Willie as the culprit. Boy Willie and Lymon accumulated the wood first, but Crawley decided to help them and pull a gun on a sheriff.
Berniece’s grief at the loss of Crawley is an important theme in both The piano lesson play and film adaptation. It is the source of her distrust of Boy Willie and the main motivation for her to keep the family piano, knowing that, like the wood, it has been stolen and could likely cause trouble if revealed. Boy Willie shows up looking to sell that piano specifically, which arouses an intense emotional response from Berniece. this is rooted in her grief over the loss of Crawley. Berniece and Boy Willie’s father, Boy Charles, died after being caught stealing the piano. Berniece has sentimental value for the piano for this reason, but all Boy Willie can see at first is a way to buy land in Mississippi.
How Crawley’s death affects Berniece’s relationships with Avery and Lymon
Bernice is much less willing to embrace opportunities and trust others
Local preacher Avery expresses a clear interest in Berniece and even proposes to her in the film. Berniece tells him that she has too many things going on to even consider Avery’s proposal, although he makes a strong case for how he can provide a safe and happy life for her. Berniece likes Avery, but doesn’t seem too excited about the prospect of being his wifedespite the perks of being a preacher’s wife. She briefly accepts Lymon’s advances, but also holds back, still emotionally attached to Crawley’s death and her life-changing grief. Ultimately, Berniece becomes much less confident after Crawley’s death, but regains her strength by playing the piano at the end of The piano lesson.