Fences (2016)

Fences (2016)

7/10

Starring

Denzel Washington

Viola Davis

Directed by Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington has, over the years, delivered home-run movies that leave you gasping at the masterful performances he brings to the screen. Viola Davis, on the other hand, never really caught my fancy—whether it was watching her in the ABC TV show How to Get Away with Murder or in Suicide Squad (2016). She’s always been one of those actors I recognized but who never truly stood out to me.

In this classic screenplay, however, Viola steps up her game and delivers a performance worthy of her Golden Globe and Academy Award wins for Best Supporting Actress.

The movie explores themes of racism and the challenges of parenthood. Viola’s character is easy to connect with as she portrays a woman struggling to keep her family together. Her husband is one misstep away from falling apart, and her son has big dreams that seem out of reach. 

The family faces financial struggles, the parents’ desire for their children to have a better life than they did, and the children’s dreams of reaching for the stars.

The movie is an adaptation of August Wilson’s Broadway play Fences. The 2010 Broadway production also starred Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. The movie plays out like you are watching a play, and it has that play feeling of confinement. The screenplay stays true to the Pulitzer Prize-winning play and was written by August Wilson himself, though he passed away before it was turned into a movie. Denzel Washington not only starred in the film but also directed and produced it, ensuring that no one strayed from Wilson’s original vision.

The plot revolves around the Maxson family: Troy (Denzel Washington), the father, husband, and breadwinner; Rose (Viola Davis), the wife, mother, and glue holding the family together; and their two sons. One son, Lyons, is from Troy’s previous relationship and is a musician. Troy constantly tells him to give up his dreams and get a “real job” to support his wife. The other son, Cory (Troy and Rose’s child), desperately seeks his father’s approval.

As the family navigates financial struggles, dashed hopes, and future dreams, Troy complicates things further by having a child from an affair. Now, Rose must deal with this new addition to the family while struggling to keep everyone together, as Troy’s behavior and irrational decisions weigh heavily on them all.

Fences is a movie I highly recommend for its masterful drama and fantastic performances.