Fences Movie Thread

[RW3]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 11:39am

First trailer. I know what I am seeing on Christmas Day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2m6Jvp0bUw

[east side story]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 11:42am

I see that Viola still hasn't kicked that runny nose she's had since Doubt. 

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 2:45pm

I'm a little pissed Tony Kushner isn't getting credit for his work on the screenplay, but this movie looks awesome.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 3:03pm

No need to be pissed. Mark Harris (Kushner's husband) tweeted this a few weeks ago:

"Gonna take a moment to correct something about Tony and August Wilson's Fences before it goes further than this. Tony is an associate producer of the movie of Fences, and was proud and delighted to work on the movie in an advisory capacity. However, he was never hired to write the script. A 'Tony Kushner version' was never submitted or rejected. Fences is by August Wilson and it always has been. Who else would it be by? Eager to see Denzel Washington's film of this American masterpiece. That's all!"

https://twitter.com/markharrisnyc/status/774434379233955840

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 3:12pm

Oh. Well then, I can't wait for this movie. We just read it for my theatre studies class, and I'm super excited to see it on the big screen.

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 3:48pm

One of my if not my favorite play in the Wilson canon. Christmas day cannot get here soon enough. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 3:50pm

I agree, Theatre_Nerd. This looks exceptional. 

Updated On: 9/27/16 at 03:50 PM

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 4:02pm

I think it looks wonderful. I wonder if Ms. Davis will be campaigned in lead or supporting. She won a Tony for lead but Mary Alice won a Tony for supporting playing the role in the original Broadway production.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 4:05pm

There are rumors that the studio might want to push supporting...but I doubt it will happen. They tried to push Davis supporting for The Help and she said she wanted to be campaigned lead (rightfully so). 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 4:10pm

The trailer seems to indicate that her role is more supporting, but of course that doesn't mean much.

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 9/28/16 at 11:03am

QueenAlice said: "The trailer seems to indicate that her role is more supporting, but of course that doesn't mean much.

 

"

Viola Davis will be campaigned for lead. The trailer is the Denzel show of course but I think the character of Rose is for sure the second lead and one of the great roles in the American theatre canon.  

 

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 9/28/16 at 11:05am

east side story said: "I see that Viola still hasn't kicked that runny nose she's had since Doubt. 

 

"

Haha well Viola is an authentic actress. One can't control the way you cry if you're being real

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 10:58am

Some reviews are starting to appear...
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-Denzel-Washington-Viola-Davis-Star-in-FENCES-Film-20161122

[east side story]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 12:01pm

QueenAlice said: "The trailer seems to indicate that her role is more supporting, but of course that doesn't mean much.

 

"

It has been confirmed that Viola Davis will be campaigning in Supporting. The competition in Lead is too great this season. Robust supporting roles can only win in Lead in years where the categories are rather weak. 

 

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 1:12pm

Viola is campaigning in supporting and she is going to win. Her performance is flawless

(For the record, the reason she refused to go supporting for "The Help" was because there were no other black women who had a real shot at Lead Actress that year. And she wanted there to be at least one person of color in the lead category. This year, even w/o her in lead Ruth Negga is likely to be nominated there, and Taraji P Henson has an outside shot. So its unlikely to be an all white category). 

As for Kushner and the screenplay, there isn't much "work" to speak of. There are maybe 5 lines of added dialogue (mostly for quick 5 second scenes outside the house) but the rest is just the Wilson play. There has been a rumor that Kushner helped with the script structure, but he is only credited as a producer. So even if the rumor did hold true, the amount of work he supposedly put in would be minimal, basically that of a script doctor who would go uncredited anyway.

[10086sunset]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 2:13pm

From someone who has seen the film, she will win Supporting...

[east side story]

Posted: 11/22/16 at 2:39pm

She's getting plenty of critical love. The film itself is getting mixed notices. Too "stage-y."

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/25/16 at 12:10pm

Here's the latest trailer...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spCxVd9ctFs

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 4:34pm

I saw the film today in a theater with around 10 other audience members. Most everyone else going to the movies was there for Star Wars, I guess. But I thought it was an exceptional film. Walking out of it, there's no way Rose is a supporting character in this, but whatever will help Viola win is good with me. As for the "stagey-ness", that's definitely the one thing that really stood out to me and personally, I loved it. I get how many will not like that but it was the perfect way to film this play and I hope more plays adapted to the screen will follow suit. 

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 4:52pm

Hi Jordan!

May I ask what theater you saw "Fences" in? 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/16/16 at 4:57pm

I went down to Union Square. 

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 12/25/16 at 10:44pm

Bumping this up for anyone who may have seen the movie today. I saw, and loved it. I've never seen Fences on stage so I went in totally blind. Troy's secret nearly took me out. Great performances all around in my opinion. 

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 12/25/16 at 11:31pm

The theatre was very crowded tonight.  I thought that the film was emotional, human, and refreshingly theatrical.  Viola Davis gave one of the greatest performances that I've ever seen, but her role is far from supporting.  Washington was brilliant and I thought that his direction was wonderfully simple and truthful. t's an extremely intimate film.  It deserves a best picture nomination, but the Academy tends to not love theatrical, play to film adaptions (a la Doubt and Osage County).  Hopefully it does well at the Oscars.  I predict that Denzel Washington and Viola Davis will both win Academy Awards for their performances and the film may pick up a Best Picture nomination.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 12/26/16 at 7:11pm

 

Brilliant. The climax of the movie alone is worth the price of admission. For what it's worth, Viola got an entrance applause, seriously and the crowd even applauded at the end.

 

Final Predictions: Viola Wins the Oscar, the film, and Denzel however will both score nominations.

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 12/26/16 at 11:23pm

The acting in this movie was wonderful! Viola will absolutely win the oscar. I was disappointed in the adaption of the play. It felt like they just filmed the play in someone's back yard. I prefer when play adaptions really open up the world of the play - instead of telling us what happened off camera... just show us what happened (when his brother gets arrested etc.)