Paramount Pictures
In 1983, playwright August Wilson wrote Fences, the sixth play he had written about the African-American experience. It won the Tony Award during its run in 1987, and was on hiatus after 1988 until it was revived in 2010 with acclaimed actors Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. The play also starred character actors Mykelti Williamson, Russell Hornsby, and Stephen McKinley Henderson.
The play was turned into a screenplay by Wilson, but he couldn’t get it made because he insisted on an African-American director. Wilson died in 2005. Finally Denzel Washington stepped in to direct and star, his third directorial effort.
Fences stars Denzel Washington as Troy, a man in his fifties living in Pittsburgh and working in sanitation alongside lifelong friend Jim Bono (Stephen McKinley Henderson). Troy enjoys long, philosophically intense conversations with his friends and family, and much of the movie is filled with such dialog. Back home, he lives with his wife Rose (Viola Davis) and son Cory (Jovan Adepo).
Also in his life, complicated as it is, are a son from an earlier relationship, the thirty-something struggling artist Lyons (Russell Hornsby), who is always asking for money, and Troy’s brother Gabriel (Mykelti Williamson). Gabe was in the war, and had a serious injury, meaning he is now permanently impaired and is a difficult drain on Troy’s life. At the same time, Troy is resentful about never making it in the racist pre-integration baseball leagues.
And now his son Cory is a football star but Troy doesn’t like it. Troy lives as a huge presence in the lives of his family, and he is a complicated man. He has done bad things and made grave mistakes, and eventually, these mistakes have effects. The movie is over two hours long, and feels it, introducing these characters and then taking a long time doing very little but talk.
Finally the movie gets back into conflict and drama, and suddenly it’s harsh and interesting again. But that middle forty minutes is a chore to get through, and some of the later scenes seem like they don’t really go anywhere. I didn’t know this was a famous-ish play, but it make sense in retrospect. There are many scenes, shot very simply and without verve, of people just chatting and shooting the breeze. Sometimes the direction goes into ways of legitimate beauty but it’s usually just … fine.
Now the star here is the star. Denzel Washington commands the screen with every step and proclamation, a performance of size both figurative and literal. I think he’s one of the best actors of his generation, and just because he’s only a decent director shouldn’t take away from that. Some of the scenes here really didn’t need to stay in, but when the words hit, they hit hard.
Viola Davis of course is amazing, with a role thankless and regressive in a way that makes perfect sense. She really doesn’t dominate the screen, but takes the subtle, strong persona instead. The supporting characters are all good, which makes sense as most are reprising roles from their stage show. To me the simple supporting friend character of Bono, played by longtime character actor Stephen Henderson, who’s mainly known for the stage yet his handful of TV and movie roles are always memorable, is the interesting supporting character for me.
An easy performance, but he’s great. Sometimes the character of Gabe is a bit exploitative, but mostly it’s alright. Overall the themes of family, race, regret, and jealousy are touched upon but really this is a character piece. I can recommend easily the performances here but the movie itself is just okay.
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