Fences (2016)

This powerful drama, adapted from the Pulitzer-winning play, about a frustrated 1950s African-American man and his family, won many Tonys in 1987 and more for its revival in 2010. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis reprise their 2010 roles of Troy and Rose (114 performances!) in this film version, with Washington now directing (his third time after Antwone Fisher (2002) and The Great Debaters (2007); for acting he was last blogged for his Oscar-nominated performance in Flight). After I cited Davis in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them we saw her in a small part in Get On Up and then 45 episodes of How to Get Away with Murder. Stephen Henderson (a recognizable character actor, he's been seen in, among others, Tower Heist, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, three episodes of The Newsroom, and Manchester by the Sea) also brings his Tony-nominated role of Jim Bono to the big screen.

Ably filling out the family are Jovan Adepo (18 episodes of The Leftovers, which we didn't watch, and some other things) as younger son Corey, Russell Hornsby (he's a regular--123 episodes--on Grimm which I've never seen) as elder son Lyons, and Mykelti Williamson (nine episodes of Hill Street Blues in the 80s, Miracle Mile (1988), Forrest Gump (1994), Con Air (1997), more) as Troy's brother Gabe.

August Wilson adapted his own play, working on it off and on from the 1990s until his 2005 death (playwright Tony Kushner (wrote the screenplay for Lincoln) helped finish it but his credit is as co-producer). As a play might be, it's dialogue-heavy, with few sets, though more than on stage, which apparently took place entirely in the family's back yard. The production design on those few locations is great, with picture cars and many little touches that make it look authentic.

Marcelo Zarvos (last blogged for Rock the Kasbah) provides the score, which can be streamed from this link, though the Dinah Washington track has been scrubbed from that youtube playlist. Here it is on its own. And listen for the track Day by Day by "Little" Jimmy Scott, track 16 on the previous playlist.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics are swooning, with an average of 94% and its audiences come in at 81. As we told Amy before choosing to see it on Christmas eve, it's an important movie that should be seen. Not the fastest paced movie you'll see, but you should go anyway.