Fences
Short description
Fences is set in 1950s Pittsburgh, where Troy Maxson, a sanitation worker and former baseball player, struggles to provide for his family while confronting poverty and racial barriers. His wife Rose holds the household together, while his son Cory, a teenager with football ambitions, draws his father's disapproval. Also in the family are Lyons, Troy's son from an earlier relationship, a jazz musician in his thirties, and Troy's brother Gabriel, a war veteran. Troy's disappointments and strained decisions place the family under growing pressure.
Denzel Washington directed and stars as Troy. It is the third film he directed, after Antwone Fisher in 2002 and The Great Debaters in 2007, and precedes A Journal for Jordan in 2021. August Wilson wrote the screenplay, and Washington produced with Scott Rudin and Todd Black. Viola Davis plays Rose, with Stephen McKinley Henderson as Jim Bono, Jovan Adepo as Cory, Russell Hornsby as Lyons and Mykelti Williamson as Gabriel.
The film was released in December 2016 and runs 139 minutes. Made for about 24 million US dollars, it took roughly 64 million worldwide, a solid return on a modest budget. On IMDb it holds 7.2 out of 10 from around 125,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 6.9 out of 10 from about 2,860 votes. Its critics' rating stands at 7.7 out of 10 from 271 reviews, higher than the two audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- August Wilson worked long and hard on the screenplay for his play, but never finished it before his death. In January 2016, the online magazine Deadline Hollywood reported that producer Scott Rudin had tasked playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner, a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner, with completing the screenplay. In December 2016, The New York Times reported that Kushner was credited in the film not as a screenwriter, but as a producer. At that time, this was the only film in which Kushner was credited as a producer.
- Viola Davis’s performance in “Fences” earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, which sparked a wave of criticism. Director and actor Denzel Washington stated that he also disliked it, but that was the actress’s choice. Davis decided she would have a better chance of winning in that category.
- “Fences” is a 1983 play by August Wilson (1945-2005). It is set in 1950s America. “Fences” is the 6th part of the “Pittsburgh Cycle,” which consists of 10 plays. The play received a Pulitzer Prize in 1987.
- “Fences” was the first play by August Wilson (1945-2005) that he adapted for the screen.
- In 2017, August Wilson was posthumously nominated for an Academy Award in the category of “Best Adapted Screenplay”.
- August Wilson stipulated that the film adaptation of his play be directed by an African American.
- The play “Fences” premiered on Broadway in 1987. The play won Tony Awards (presented annually for achievements in American theater) for “Best Play,” “Best Actor” (James Earl Jones), and “Best Actress” (Mary Alice). In 2010, the production was revived, receiving Tony Awards for “Best Revival of a Play,” “Best Actor” (Denzel Washington), and “Best Actress” (Viola Davis). All five adult actors who starred in the 2010 production played in the film adaptation. Washington starred in the leading role and directed the film.
- According to Denzel Washington, after performing the role in the theatrical production of “Fences” 114 times, directing the film adaptation was not difficult.
- The film was shot in Pittsburgh, August Wilson's hometown.
- In the action film “Lila & Eve” (Charles Stone III, 2015), the phrase about Viola Davis’s character having a “date with Denzel” is repeated several times. This refers to her staying home and watching films starring her favorite actor, Denzel Washington. In “Fences” (2016), Davis plays Washington’s wife.
- When Paramount Studios acquired the rights to film the play in 1987, it was with Eddie Murphy in mind, who wanted to move away from comedic roles and star in a “serious” film. Murphy was planned for the role of 17-year-old Cory, however, in 1987 the actor was already 10 years older than the character, and numerous delays in filming soon made him completely unsuitable for the role due to his age.
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