Fences

In 1950s Pittsburgh, Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) lives with his wife Rose (Viola Davis) and their son Cory (Jovan Adepo), and works as a waste collector alongside his best friend, Jim Bono (Stephen McKinley Henderson). Troy's older brother, Gabe Maxson (Mykelti Williamson), sustained a head injury in World War II that left him mentally impaired, for which he received a $3000 government payout that Troy used to purchase a home for his family. Gabe has since moved out, but still lives in the neighborhood, where he is often tormented by the local children.

In his adolescence, Troy left home and became a robber to sustain himself. After killing a man during a robbery led him to prison, he met Bono and revealed himself to be a talented baseball player. He then played in the professional Negro Leagues, but never made it to Major League Baseball. Although it is likely that he was rejected due to his advanced age, Troy firmly believes he was passed over due to the color of his skin. Having survived a near-fatal bout of pneumonia in his youth, Troy claims to have done so by defeating the Grim Reaper in a fistfight, upon which the Reaper vowed to return for a rematch...more>>