Monk, the center of "American Fiction," very much wants a relationship. He stumbles on a lovely and available neighbor. They drink together, and the neighbor explains that she is disentangling herself from a current, unsatisfactory arrangement, and Monk concedes that, at his age, he needs to expect some complications. The dating process is occasionally bumpy. When Monk introduces his girlfriend to Mom, Mom, who is crazy like a fox, loudly says, "I'm really glad that you're Black!" Also, Monk is a snob, and he criticizes some of his new companion's reading selections. Finally, Monk won't disclose much about his past; when asked, he becomes defensive, and even rude. He is no one's idea of a low-maintenance date. As everyone has observed, it's terrific luck that Jeffrey Wright is in this lead role; he finds the humanity in Monk, and he never allows you to hate this main character. The problem is that everyone around Monk is a caricature. His g...