It’s real easy to look foolish when you start talking about potential Oscar nominations after only watching a trailer, but it’s hard not to think about possible future gold trophy wins after seeing this first powerful teaser for the new movie Fences, starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.
The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning play of the same name, written by August Wilson, who also wrote the screenplay. Washington plays Troy, a bitter former Negro league baseball player and garbageman living in Pittsburgh in the ’50s with his wife Rose, played by Davis, and his son Cory, played by Jovan Adepo (who was fantastic as Michael Murphy in season two of The Leftovers on HBO).
The trailer, which we found at IndieWire, keeps its focus on the relationships of the family. Though the main interaction here is primarily between Troy and his son, it’s that scene towards the end from Davis, where she tells her husband that she’s remained alongside him in the same rut he’s been in all these years, that is the standout.
The play first debuted in 1983, and made its way to Broadway in 1987. Washington and Davis co-starred in the same roles in a 2010 revival, for which they won Tonys for Best Actor and Best Actress. So maybe thinking about Oscars this early isn’t foolish. They already have earned trophies for these parts.
Fences opens in theaters on Christmas Day.
What did you think of this trailer? What do you know about the play? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
Image: Paramount Pictures
