Fences (2016)

This is a rare film based off a celebrated and highly-praised Broadway play by August Wilson.
It is a simple story, with a simple cast and set. Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) is a garbage worker, upset that blacks must haul all the groceries while the white man does all the driving. He is a simple man, so old-fashioned that you can't help but cringe as you watch him order his wife around as though he's the boss of the gentle Rose (Viola Davis, excellent). He provides for his son, Cory (Jovan Adepo), but doesn't like him or care about Cory's hopes and dreams. Troy's youth was troubled with neglectful and abusive parents and then a stint in prison ended his dreams of being a star baseball player and now he doesn't care that Cory is great at football; he just wants Cory to have a job after school. His brother Gabe (Mykelti Williamson) is brain-damaged after being shot in World War II but Troy used Gabe's money to buy his house and it is his house, not Rose's. His other son, Lyons (Russell Hornsby, good but too old for the role) is always borrowing money so he can be a musician. Both of Troy's sons have failed him.
And though Troy loves Rose and she's a good woman, he nevertheless cheats on her and gets his (unseen) mistress pregnant. She dies giving birth but Rose does agree to raise his child, as the sins of the father shouldn't be passed on to the child. She takes on the baby, named Raynell, but pushes Troy aside, as he is now a womanless man.
Though his death reunites everyone, his life had a strong impact on everyone. Cory is now in the marines and Lyons is surviving time in prison for money fraud and poor Gabe is in the mental hospital because Troy signed papers to commit him and didn't even realize it as he is illiterate and won't admit it. But nonetheless, Troy entered heaven to the relief of everyone, especially Gabe.
While this film is simple, you don't miss the fancy sets, elaborate camera angles and cast of thousands when only a few will do. Washington and Davis chew the scenery off the sets in their scenes, deserving every award they were nominated for and won. This film is about average people, struggling to get by and, for me, Hollywood can never do enough films like that to suit me. There was nary a false note. Grade: A-