FENCES is from the stage play by August Wilson. It is part of his "Century" Cycle -- a series of ten plays about the African American experience told from August Wilson's neighborhood -- The Hill District -- in Pittsburgh.

This is a play of a family -- Troy and Rose Maxson, their children - Cory, Lyons, Gabriel, and the daughter - Raynell, and Troy's friend Jim Bono.

Denzel Washington and Viola Davis reprise their roles form the Broadway Stage.

It is a tour de force of powerful acting. These are performances worthy of Academy Awards.

Troy and his friend Bono are garbagemen. A big deal is Troy getting promoted to being the first black driver or a garbage truck. . . Troy's oldest son from a previous marriage was brain damaged in the military. It is his military pension and support that paid for the house they live in. . . Troy's youngest son with Rose is in High School.

To understand the lives and struggles of Troy and Rose is to hear and see lives that are hard, tragic, and at the same time, wonderful... As Troy says "you have to take the crooked with the straight" ...

This was filmed in The Hill District, which was and still is the "black" neighborhood of Pittsburgh. It is a character in the play. It is part of the story of the poorest people of Pittsburgh and their lives.

I've known men like Troy Maxson and their attitudes and their desires. Terrible men to live with until you understand their upbringing. This is a man with faults, huge faults, but still a man living in the 1950's and raising a family.

I do recognize these characters from my past. I've met them all at one time or another.

This is worth your time to see and think about what it meant to grow up in the first half of the 20th century.

The producer is actually one of my best friends. This has been a breakout year for him, he also did Birth of a Nation which was also Oscar bound until an old allegation of rape against the director resurfaced. My friend spent years living in a basement rental while putting everything into building his movie business starting with independent films and low budget animated movies. Now he just told me that he's been accepted as a voting member of the Academy.

I especially liked the part where husband and wife get in a fight when she finds out about his mistress. He explains that he likes his mistress because it is a place where he can sincerely laugh and feel which launches wife into a tirade about she yells that her wants and dreams which have had to fall by the wayside thru the tough years also and he did not care. Good reminder that young love is wonderful and carefree, but leads to all the cares of adulthood and parenting where each parent's wants and desires move to last of the priorities. Been there, done that and if a poor, Black 1950's garbage collector's life has the same issues, then I guess that is life.

That is the truth about strong husbands and strong wives. The most telling part of that exchange about the mistress is that Rose still takes the orphaned child of the mistress and her husband and raises it as her own.

Children and grandchildren (even farther removed) do not see the hardships of their parents. Do not see the sacrifices.

I will tell you a great secret (to borrow a phrase) -- when a child is born, its parents dream and foresee every success, every glorious new achievement, every possible good. In those days there is nothing that can't be... And then the child grows up and breaks its parents hearts. One by one the dreams die as the child makes its own life.

{on a very personal note. I think back and listen hard to words I remember and I can see my Father in that play. It's a very strange experience looking at that and remembering details and pieces from old neighborhoods and old conversations.}