Story
In Fences, Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) is a 53-year-old African-American man living in Pittsburgh in the 1950s. He lives with his wife, Rose (Viola Davis), and their 17-year-old son Cory (Jovan Adepo). He has an older son, Lyons (Russell Hornsby), from a previous marriage. Lyons is a musician, who often comes to visit on payday. Troy works hard as a garbage collector to make enough money to provide for his family. His sense of responsibility weighs heavily on him, and it angers him that Lyons doesn’t get a ‘proper’ job and make real money.
Troy works with his neighbour and good friend Bono (Stephen Henderson), and they often have a chat and a drink after work. It’s during these chats that we learn about Troy’s difficult background. He had an abusive father and left home at 14 but later became a successful baseball player for what was then called an ‘all-negro’ team. He has a brother, Gabriel (Mykelti Williamson), who was injured during the war and is now brain damaged. Troy was sent to jail for 15 years for accidentally killing a man during a robbery. He met and married Rose when he came out of jail. By this time, he was too old to continue his baseball career but he has blamed his ineligibility on his colour. This seems to have had a long-lasting influence on his outlook.
One day Troy comes home from work with a revelation that is so upsetting to Rose that it threatens their relationship and happy life together. Cory refuses to speak to his father again, and Troy retaliates by kicking him out of home. Troy and Rose stay living in the same house but separately, with Rose refusing to let him back into her life.
Themes
Racial issues; father-son relationships; infidelity
Violence
Fences has some violence. For example:
Sexual references
Fences has some sexual references. For example:
- Troy often kisses and cuddles Rose playfully. One time when he’s been drinking he says he ‘has to finish what’s at hand’ while grabbing her crotch.
- Troy has an affair and has to tell Rose he’s going to become a father again.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
Fences shows some use of substances. For example:
- Troy often drinks gin neat out of a bottle, which he shares with Bono and Lyons. He often says regrettable things after drinking too much.
- Troy drinks alone at a bar.
Nudity and sexual activity
None of concern
Product placement
None of concern
Coarse language
There is some coarse and racist language in Fences.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Fences is amovie based on a 1980s play by August Wilson. It feels very much like a stage play transferred to screen, but the high standard of acting, particularly by the main characters, carries it off.
The story is quite intense and its themes, violence, sexual references and coarse language make it more suitable for teenagers and adults. It isn’t recommended for viewers under 13 years, and we also recommend parental guidance for children aged 13-15 years.
The main message from this movie is that we all need to somehow live with the imperfections of others as well as our own. The movie also emphasises that success comes through hard work.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include patience, perseverance and forgiveness.
This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues like:
- how drinking too much can make you say and do things you might regret
- how important families are
- how family structures have changed since the 1950s when fathers had to be obeyed by their wives and children.