Fences Preview

Every boy and girl has dreams of what they'd like to be when they grow up: an astronaut, a ball player, a ballerina, a princess.  Fences is the story of Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) who had a dream to play baseball.  Growing up in the early 1900's, that dream was impossible for him as African Americans weren't allowed to play professional baseball until Jackie Robinson broke through that racial wall in 1947.  By that time, the league deemed Maxson too old to play and he continued his career as a sanitation worker in Pittsburgh to provide for his family.  He tried to be the good husband and father, but the pain of missed opportunity grew to resentment and anger over the years putting a strain on his family.

Troy's wife, Rose (Viola Davis) tell him that their son, Cory (Jovan Adepo) is being looked at by college recruiters to play football.  Troy is set against it.  Being a talented baseball player never got him anything.  Tensions grow so deep in their family, Cory actually confronts his father in the preview asking why he never liked him.  Troy's response is "What law says I have to like you?"  His job is to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.  He advises Cory that he can't go through life worrying about if anybody likes him.  

Fences has been nominated for 4 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Leading Actor (Denzel Washington), Best Leading Actress (Viola Davis) and Best Adapted Screenplay (August Wilson).  August Wilson was an American playwright who wrote a series of ten plays called The Pittsburgh Cycle.  He won two Pullitzer Prizes for drama.  Fences earned him one of those.  Wilson was always revered for his portrayal of African Americans with humor, drama, and real brutal honesty.  Washington and Davis look like they bring every ounce of emotion from his writing and from the era to life in a film that looks like it will pull at your heart and punch you in the gut.  I'm giving what looks like a beautifully and sincerely acted drama a 4 Star Prediction.  Well worth the money in the theatre and a contender to become a part of my home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.