Heart & Soul of a Single Dad

The final installation in my “Fences” series highlights none other than Rose Maxson played by Viola Davis .   Her performance was so stellar she made history becoming the first black woman in history to win an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony award.  Her performance was stellar.  As Rose Maxon, Davis was the epitome of strength, poise, and grace.  She was the glue that kept her family together.  Rose married Troy, a sanitation worker after he was released from prison.   Troy had a child from a previous marriage and was frustrated due to the way his life turned out.  I remember a scene in the movie that jarred me.  Troy was saying how he gave everything he had and he didn’t have anything left to give.  He said he had been in the same place in life for 18 years and Rose said I’ve been here with you.  Wow!  Anyone that has faced challenges knows what an asset it is to have someone in your corner. Rose found a way to become a buffer between Troy and Cory while being a bridge between Troy and

Last week I wrote about the frustrations of a man in consideration of the movie “Fences”.  When I began this series of my Fatherhood blog dedicated to digging deeper into the movie my intent was to explore the array of feelings that arose inside of me as I sat in the theater.  As I stated in the first blog this movie took me on the journey from boy to man and eventually father all over again. Troy (Denzel Washington) has 2 sons.  Lyons (Russell Hornsby) who was born out of wedlock before Troy went to prison and Cory (Jovan Adepo) who was born in wedlock and saw Troy in the home on a daily basis.  Lyons once confronted Troy about his absence in his life in the living room of Troy’s home but when the backyard conversation happened when Troy talked about his upbringing it felt as if Lyons came terms with his father as he understood Troy a lot better.  Cory on the other hand had Troy in the home and their relationship was troublesome, to put it mildly.  I chalk it up to gross mis

The setting for most of the film was in the backyard.  If the backyard could talk it would probably tell you about frustration, unmet dreams, and regret.  It’s where Troy poured out his soul to Bono, Lyons, Rose, and Corey.  One of the most poignant points from the vantage point of the father, in my opinion, was when Troy, Lyons (eldest son), and Bono (best friend) were in the backyard discussing Troy’s journey from youth to manhood.  It was a particular situation at home causing him to leave home at the tender age of 14 after a confrontation with his daddy.  As Troy went deeper he spoke on how he survived his early years of life on his own by committing crimes in order to feed himself and ultimately his woman and child.  The thing that made this part so important to me was earlier in the movie while trying to borrow some money Lyon’s made mention of Troy not being around to raise him now he had his answer.  Troy went to prison. This revelation gives light to an issue that plague

Recently I viewed the major motion film “Fences”.  In my opinion is was a great movie with an amazing cast.  Initially, when I went to view the film I went alone and I'm glad I did.  I wanted to soak up everything the film had to offer.  I received my wish, as I sat in the theater the film tapped into an every emotion that I have.  I was angry, sad, excited, and confused to the point that I got up from my seat to leave the theater and as I walked down the aisle I was pulled back into my seat.  I allowed the movie to take me on the journey from boy to man all over again. Fences forced me to look at manhood through a different lens.  A realistic one that delved deeply into the emotions of a man.  A frustrated man that seeks to provide for his family and find a place peace for himself in the midst of regrets and growing responsibility.  As a result, I reevaluated my trajectory from boy to man.  I don’t think I could have appreciated this film in this fashion I did if I wasn’t a