
Troy's younger brother, Gabriel, sustained a head injury in World War II that left him mentally impaired, for which he received a $3,000 government payout that Troy subsequently uses as a down payment on a home for his family. In 1950s Pittsburgh, Troy Maxson lives with his wife Rose and their son Cory, and works as a garbage collector alongside his best friend, Jim Bono. It also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for Washington and a Best Supporting Actress win for Davis. The film was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2016, and was nominated for numerous awards, including four Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (Washington), Best Supporting Actress (Davis) and Best Adapted Screenplay, with Davis winning for her performance.

Critics found the film "extremely powerful and effective." It was also a commercial success, grossing $64 million against a $24 million production budget. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at Washington's performance and direction, Davis's performance, the screenplay, pacing, cinematography and emotional tone, though some criticized the transfer from stage to screen for its lack of a cinematic feel. Principal photography took place from April 25 to June 14, 2016, in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.įences was released in the United States on December 16, 2016, by Paramount Pictures.

In addition to Washington, the film also stars Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson and Saniyya Sidney. Fences is a 2016 American period drama film starring, produced and directed by Denzel Washington and written by August Wilson, based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning 1985 play of the same name.
