Fences (2016)

Detailed Summary

The World of Troy Maxson

The film opens in 1950s Pittsburgh, introducing us to Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington), a former baseball player who never made it to the Major Leagues due to racial segregation. Now, he works as a garbage collector and lives with his wife, Rose (Viola Davis), and son Cory (Jovan Adepo). Troy is a man filled with pride but also resentment, carrying the bitterness of missed opportunities into his daily life.

The Fence as a Symbol

Rose asks Troy to build a fence around their house. While seemingly a simple task, this fence becomes the central metaphor of the story. For Rose, it represents protection and keeping her loved ones close. For Troy, it reflects his stubbornness, his control over his family, and his inability to let go of his bitterness.

Father and Son Conflict

Cory dreams of playing college football, but Troy forbids it. He believes the world of sports won’t treat a Black man fairly, just as it didn’t for him. This conflict escalates into shouting matches that reveal Troy’s authoritarian parenting style. His mantra—“I don’t have to like you, I have to take care of you”—becomes a defining line of their relationship.

The Affair and Betrayal

Troy reveals he has been unfaithful to Rose with another woman, Alberta, who is now pregnant. This revelation devastates Rose, who has stood by Troy for years. When Alberta dies during childbirth, Troy brings the baby girl, Raynell, home. Rose agrees to raise the child but tells Troy he is now “a womanless man,” cutting emotional ties with him even as she fulfills her role as caretaker.

The Weight of Responsibility

Troy’s brother Gabriel, a war veteran with a brain injury, adds another emotional layer to the story. Gabriel’s mental struggles and eventual institutionalization serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made by Black men and how they were often discarded by the system.

Movie Ending

In the film’s emotional final act, Troy dies of a heart attack. Years later, the family gathers for his funeral. Cory, now a Marine, initially refuses to attend, claiming he wants to escape his father’s shadow. However, through Rose’s heartfelt words about Troy’s complexity—his flaws alongside his sacrifices—Cory finds the strength to forgive and accept his father’s influence.

The ending scene features Gabriel, who believes he can open the gates of Heaven for Troy by blowing his trumpet. When the trumpet doesn’t sound, Gabriel cries out, and the clouds part with a ray of sunshine, symbolically suggesting that Troy has been accepted into Heaven despite his flaws. The film closes with this spiritual and emotional release, leaving the audience with a sense of closure and redemption.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Fences does not feature any post-credits scenes. The story ends definitively with Troy’s funeral and the family’s reconciliation.

Type of Movie

Fences is a drama with elements of family conflict, social commentary, and character study. It is adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play.

Cast

• Denzel Washington as Troy Maxson
• Viola Davis as Rose Maxson
• Jovan Adepo as Cory Maxson
• Russell Hornsby as Lyons Maxson
• Mykelti Williamson as Gabriel Maxson
• Stephen McKinley Henderson as Jim Bono

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by Marcelo Zarvos, with a subdued and intimate sound that allows the dialogue-driven performances to take center stage. Music plays a minimal role, reinforcing the play-like atmosphere.

Filming Locations

The movie was shot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where August Wilson’s original play was also set. The authentic location adds weight to the narrative, grounding the story in the real struggles of working-class African American families in the mid-20th century.

Awards and Nominations

• Academy Awards: Viola Davis won Best Supporting Actress. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Denzel Washington), and Best Adapted Screenplay.
• Golden Globe Awards: Viola Davis won Best Supporting Actress.
• Screen Actors Guild Awards: Viola Davis won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Denzel Washington both directed and starred in the film, a dual role he had long prepared for.
• Much of the cast had already performed the play together on Broadway, which gave their performances exceptional depth.
• Washington insisted on shooting in Pittsburgh to preserve authenticity and honor Wilson’s legacy.
• Viola Davis’s emotional monologue during the affair reveal scene was filmed in one take, with raw intensity that left the crew in silence.

Inspirations and References

The film is adapted directly from August Wilson’s play “Fences” (1985), part of Wilson’s “Pittsburgh Cycle,” which chronicles African American life across decades. Wilson himself wrote the screenplay adaptation before his death in 2005, ensuring the film remained faithful to his vision.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

There are no known alternate endings. The film adheres closely to the play, with very few cuts or deviations. Deleted scenes were minimal, mostly involving minor dialogue trims rather than significant story changes.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Since Fences is based on a stage play rather than a novel, the adaptation focuses on maintaining the dialogue and themes. The main difference lies in setting: the film uses naturalistic locations, while the play largely unfolds within the Maxson household’s yard.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• Troy’s confrontation with Cory, where he declares, “I don’t have to like you.”
• Rose’s breakdown after learning of Troy’s affair.
• Gabriel’s symbolic attempt to open Heaven’s gates at Troy’s funeral.

Iconic Quotes

• Troy: “I don’t have to like you. I give you your life!”
• Rose: “I gave eighteen years of my life to stand in the same spot as you!”
• Cory: “You always talking about what you give… but you take, too!”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• The fence itself functions as an extended metaphor, embodying protection, division, and the boundaries between love and bitterness.
• The trumpet that fails to sound for Gabriel is a subtle biblical reference, symbolizing judgment day and divine forgiveness.

Trivia

• Viola Davis and Denzel Washington also starred together in the Broadway revival of Fences, for which they both won Tony Awards.
• August Wilson had originally insisted that only an African American director should adapt his play. Washington honored that request.
• The film was shot almost entirely on location in a single neighborhood, creating an intimate, theatrical feel.

Why Watch?

If you’re looking for a powerful character study about family, forgiveness, and the burdens of generational trauma, Fences delivers. It features some of the strongest performances of Denzel Washington and Viola Davis’s careers, with dialogue that cuts like poetry. It’s both heartbreaking and cathartic.

Director’s Other Movies

• Antwone Fisher (2002)
• The Great Debaters (2007)
• A Journal for Jordan (2021)

Recommended Films for Fans

• A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
• The Piano Lesson (2024)
• If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
• The Color Purple (1985)
• One Night in Miami (2020)