Sometime in the '50s, Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington, also directing) is an illiterate former Negro League player turned Pittsburgh trash collector, who resents that baseball didn't get integrated until too late for him. His experience shapes his view of the present sports scene, and he insists that teen son Cory (Jovan Adepo) not bank on a career in football. Troy exhibits an overall pattern of acting like nobody struggles as much as he does. His egocentrism leads to family tensions, not least when he cheats on wife Rose (Viola Davis).
If you didn't already know that the movie was based on a play, you could probably guess from the style: a small cast (with almost no White presence), few scenes away from the Maxson house and yard, and far more dialog than action. The first scene or two had so much rapid talking that I feared mental exhaustion, but the pace was more reasonable thereafter. It still felt lengthy at 139 minutes. I'd have been less patient if I didn't have a good idea of what to expect.
Washington's Troy is more sympathetic than the one I had in my head while reading. I think the filmmakers cut one or more of his most controversial lines. Indeed, the biggest way that the screenplay deviates from the original appears to have been done specifically to make us believe in, or at least hope for, his redemption. I wasn't sure whether the adaptation would retain the heavy-handed symbolism of brain-damaged brother Gabe (Mykelti Williamson) believing himself Archangel Gabriel. It does.
It takes a while to perceive Troy's dark side. At first he seems like a regular guy, laughing with co-worker Jim Bono (Stephen McKinley Henderson), showing affection to Rose, and telling personal tall tales that she partly gainsays. He certainly has a better work ethic than Cory or older son Lyons (Russell Hornsby), who's too proud to take the same job but not too proud to beg for a parental loan. But all this could describe Archie Bunker, who wasn't exactly designed for the audience's respect. Troy lost a lot of mine when he responded to Cory's "How come you ain't never liked me?" with a shameless (indeed, shaming) "What law is there saying I got to like you?" Racial oppression may have contributed to Troy's stubbornness and impatience toward others, but none of them accept it as an excuse, and neither should we.
While there is nothing I'd call bad about this adaptation, I'd say the biggest treat comes in the form of interactions between the only two actors whose names are likely to mean something to you. Washington and Davis have good chemistry for both hot and cold moments. We can believe they've been married for 18 tough years. Their laughs and tears look and sound genuine.
Fences turns out to be one of my favorite 2016 Best Picture nominees. I'm glad I didn't put it off indefinitely.
Washington's Troy is more sympathetic than the one I had in my head while reading. I think the filmmakers cut one or more of his most controversial lines. Indeed, the biggest way that the screenplay deviates from the original appears to have been done specifically to make us believe in, or at least hope for, his redemption. I wasn't sure whether the adaptation would retain the heavy-handed symbolism of brain-damaged brother Gabe (Mykelti Williamson) believing himself Archangel Gabriel. It does.
It takes a while to perceive Troy's dark side. At first he seems like a regular guy, laughing with co-worker Jim Bono (Stephen McKinley Henderson), showing affection to Rose, and telling personal tall tales that she partly gainsays. He certainly has a better work ethic than Cory or older son Lyons (Russell Hornsby), who's too proud to take the same job but not too proud to beg for a parental loan. But all this could describe Archie Bunker, who wasn't exactly designed for the audience's respect. Troy lost a lot of mine when he responded to Cory's "How come you ain't never liked me?" with a shameless (indeed, shaming) "What law is there saying I got to like you?" Racial oppression may have contributed to Troy's stubbornness and impatience toward others, but none of them accept it as an excuse, and neither should we.
While there is nothing I'd call bad about this adaptation, I'd say the biggest treat comes in the form of interactions between the only two actors whose names are likely to mean something to you. Washington and Davis have good chemistry for both hot and cold moments. We can believe they've been married for 18 tough years. Their laughs and tears look and sound genuine.
Fences turns out to be one of my favorite 2016 Best Picture nominees. I'm glad I didn't put it off indefinitely.
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