Fences (2016)

Fences is a movie directed and produced by Denzel Washington based on one of the August Wilson plays. It's a film that was included in the 2016 top ten films and received numerous award nominations. 

Fences focused on the home life of Troy Maxson, a garbage collector working in Pittsburgh. He had three children from three different women: Lyons (the son of Troy's former girlfriend), Cory (the son with Troy's wife), and Raynell (the daughter with Troy's mistress; she died during childbirth). Troy's wife, Rose, appeared to be a housewife who generously brought pie to church and gave food to Troy's brother, Gabriel. Gabriel was a veteran of World War II; he was injured in the line of duty, hence, he didn't have all his marbles with him (he constantly had a saxophone though). Troy's best friend, Bono, acted as Troy's conscience... a Jiminy cricket of sorts.

Troy was living in very interesting times. The play was set during the late 1950s, if I understood correctly. That was when the Civil Rights Movement was gaining ground within the African-American community... and Troy benefited from it because people of colour were beginning to get more access to opportunities previously exclusive to the white man. For example, Troy was the first African-American who got promoted from garbage collector to garbage truck driver in his company, a job previously hired out to Caucasians. However, Troy did not realise that he was instilling in his sons the value of earning money through skilled labour; he was rising in rank but he was unintentionally keeping his sons from rising from the bottom rung. Lyons and Cory were living in that time of cultural flux such that their values, particularly on earning a living, were different from their father's: Lyons wanted to pursue music and Cory wanted to explore a football scholarship. These guys were living in relative luxury and freedom compared to their father, after all. Because of the cultural difference between father and sons, it was natural to see that there were serious conflicts.

In contrast, Raynell grew up in a more stable home. Troy was probably deeply affected by Cory's departure to join the Marine Corps (Lyons was never far away), which was why Troy mellowed down. Perhaps, Troy realised that his parenting skills needed work or he started living more relaxed because he started to earn more, and the aftermath of Raynell's mother's death stopped him from chasing after yet another woman. The result: Raynell appeared to have known a different father compared to Cory. Lyons, most likely, observed the changes in Troy until he died.

It's a good movie with superb acting from the leads (Washington as Troy and Viola Davis as Troy's wife) but I had difficulty listening to the dialogue because I'm not used to the characters' accents. Which is why I couldn't help but think of the style contrasts between Fences and The King's Speech.

Both movies were strongly driven by their scripts, of course; but Fences was delivered in Western Pennsylvania English while The King's Speech's script was spoken in the Queen's English (if I'm not mistaken). Fences was set in a poor neighbourhood of Pittsburgh while King's Speech rightly was set in the opulence of the royal family's environment. King George VI and Troy both were difficult men to handle but their wives were both up to the task.

Fences is definitely not a blockbuster movie like the superhero flicks that I love watching for entertainment. But Fences is worth viewing because, aside from the acting chops of the cast, it lets the audience think and discuss issues that are closer to home.