History
Drama
Fences (2016): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Ending
Fences is a 2016 drama starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. It runs 2 hours 19 minutes and earned $64.4 million worldwide on a $24 million budget. It won 1 Oscar, including Actress in a Supporting Role, and 6 awards in all. Critics gave it 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.2/10.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 19m (139 min)
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Paramount Pictures
- Budget
- $24M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is Fences About?
The premise of Fences without spoilers. The whole story and the ending explained are in the plot summary further down.
In 1950s Pittsburgh, Troy Maxson, a sanitation worker, grapples with the disappointment of a lost chance at a major league baseball career. He strives to provide for his wife and sons, but his past failures and rigid worldview create deep divisions within his family. When his son’s aspirations for a college scholarship are threatened, Troy’s actions spark resentment and regret, revealing the complexities of the American Dream and the weight of unspoken burdens.
Fences Themes & Keywords
· 43 tags- stubborn old man
- god complex
- daughter
- adopted child
- adultery
- husband wife relationship
- father son relationship
- disabled character
- pulitzer prize source
- pittsburgh pennsylvania
- 1950s
- 20th century
+31 more Show fewer
- actor recreates his stage role
- family relationships
- father
- domestic drama
- period drama
- garbage collector
- african american
- reference to jackie robinson
- reference to babe ruth
- no opening credits
- infidelity
- garbage truck
- one word title
- wooden fence
- domineering father
- based on play
- baseball
- united states of america
- baseball bat
- brother brother relationship
- soldier
- u.s. soldier
- u.s. marine
- actress recreates her stage role
- garbage truck driver
- trumpet
- singing
- baby
- grave
- cemetery
- snow
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Cast & crew
Fences Cast
Denzel Washington leads the cast, with Viola Davis.
Ratings
Fences Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Fences 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.2/10.
-
IMDb 7.2 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 92% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 75%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 79 Metascore
User score 7.3
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 69% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 3.6 /5
412 ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 3.8 /5
See on Movie Insider
Plot
Fences Plot Summary & Ending Explained
What happens in Fences from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events and the ending explained. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In 1950s Pittsburgh, Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) leads a challenging life with his wife Rose (Viola Davis) and their son Cory. He works as a waste collector alongside his close friend Jim Bono. Troy’s younger brother, Gabriel (who suffered a head injury in World War II), still resides nearby and often finds himself in trouble due to his peculiar habits and religious fixations.
Full summary
The whole story of Fences, scene by scene, with the ending explained
Box office
Fences Box Office & Budget
Fences grossed $64.4 million worldwide on a $24 million budget, 2.7 times what it cost. $57.7 million came from the US and Canada and $6.7 million (10%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$64.4M
2.7× its budget
- US & Canada
- $57.7M
- International
- $6.7M
- Budget
- $24M
US & Canada 90%
Rest of the world 10%
Awards
Fences Awards & Nominations
Fences won 1 Oscar, including Actress in a Supporting Role, and 6 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Actor Awards (SAG) 2017, with 2 wins from 3 nominations.
6 wins16 nominations5 ceremonies
-
Actor Awards (SAG) 2017 2 wins · 3 nominations- Won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Viola Davis
- Won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role – Denzel Washington
- Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
-
Oscars 2017 1 win · 4 nominations- Won Actress in a Supporting Role – Viola Davis
- Nominated Actor in a Leading Role – Denzel Washington
- Nominated Best Picture
- Nominated Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
-
Golden Globes 2017 1 win · 2 nominations- Won Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy – Viola Davis
- Nominated Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama – Denzel Washington
-
BAFTA 2017 1 win · 1 nomination- Won Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Viola Davis
Show all 5 ceremonies Show fewer ceremonies
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Critics' Choice 2016 1 win · 6 nominations- Won Best Supporting Actress – Viola Davis
- Nominated Best Acting Ensemble
- Nominated Best Actor – Denzel Washington
- Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay
- Nominated Best Director – Denzel Washington
Videos
Fences Trailers & Videos
13 videos: 3 trailers, 3 clips and 7 featurettes.
- Trailer Teaser Trailer
- Trailer Trailer 2
- Clip "Why Don't You Like Me" Clip
- Clip "The Marrying Kind" Clip
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Fences?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is Troy's job in 'Fences'?
Cars
Cars in Fences
21 cars on screen, including the 1951 Chevrolet Advance-Design and the 1937 LaSalle Touring Sedan.
-
1951 Chevrolet Advance-Design Important role -
1937 LaSalle Touring Sedan Minor role -
1938 Buick Special Background role -
Buick unknown Background role
Details
Fences Also Known As
26 alternative titles, including “Barreras” and “Um Limite Entre Nós”.
- Also known as
-
- Barreras
- Um Limite Entre Nós
- 펜스
- Barriere
- Ограды
- Płoty
- Vedações
- Ограде
- Паркани
- Прегради
- Εμπόδια
- 藩篱
+14 more Show fewer
- Kerítések
- גדרות
- 心靈圍籬
- Çitler
- Ploty
- Žogi
- Garduri
- 圍欄
- フェンス
- Vách Ngăn
- Tvoros, წინაღობანი
- กำแพงลิขิต
- حصارها
- फ़ेन्सेज़
Seen Fences?
More like this
Movies Like Fences
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Good Fences, The Fence and Pittsburgh.
From the blog
Articles About Fences
2 articles about Fences. The latest: “The Influence of Theater on Modern Movie Making”.
FAQ
Fences FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Fences, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Fences?
Fences runs 2 hours 19 minutes (139 minutes).
When was Fences released?
Fences was released on December 16, 2016.
Who is in the cast of Fences?
Fences stars Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.
How much did Fences make at the box office?
Fences grossed $64.4 million worldwide ($57.7 million domestic, $6.7 million international) on a budget of $24 million.
How is Fences rated?
Fences has 7.2/10 on IMDb, 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79 on Metacritic and 69% on TMDB.
What awards did Fences win?
Fences won 6 awards from 16 nominations, including Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role at the Actor Awards (SAG) 2017.
Does Fences have a post-credit scene?
No. Fences has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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