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Antwone Fisher
Review by Jane Robertson (Jane's bio)
Directed by Denzel Washington
Written by Antwone Fisher
Derek Luke . . . Antwone Fisher
Denzel Washington . . . Jerome Davenport
Joy Bryant . . . Cheryl
Salli Richardson . . . Berta
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for violence, language, and mature thematic material involving child abuse.
You'll be glad you saw this film.
What you'll probably remember best is Derek Luke (Antwone). His acting experience may be limited, but his acting ability doesn't seem to be. He takes on a role that calls for a vast range of emotions and conveys them—including the hardest of all, the subtle pathos—with skill. Whether it's real talent or a knack for taking direction, time will tell (and does it really matter which?). But this young man deserves a shot at more good parts, and it will be our loss if he doesn't get them.
The reason it's hard to sort out where all the credit should go is that this is Denzel Washington's first try at directing, as well as Luke's first serious acting challenge. But the blend works, whatever the exact proportions. Washington also serves by example, of course, lending his fine, understated acting style to the Jerome Davenport role. Together these two do full honors to Antwone Fisher's touching and largely autobiographical story.
Fisher, by the way, deserves applause too. Though he's also a beginner, he tells his tale well. Instead of spilling his guts on the page, as one might expect, he deals with his early trauma in a measured, temperate way. Writing from the wholeness of the present, he doesn't feel he has to overwhelm us with the brokenness of the past, and as a result the movie feels whole too.
As we see him in the film, Fisher is endangering his navy career by letting his temper control him. He nurtures the anger that grew from being rejected as a baby and growing up in an abusive foster home. A psychiatrist (Davenport), with an assist from a charming girl (Cheryl), helps him face both his demons and the family he never knew. In the process Davenport himself must confront some issues with his wife (Salli Richardson).
Though it's about family, this isn't a family film. There are too many things that happened to the young Antwone that should never visit other children in their nightmares. But for the viewer mature enough to understand how Antwone overcomes his background, this is a movie that will bring smiles, maybe a few tears, and a warm feeling that will last longer than the drive home.
Copyright 2003, Jane Robertson. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
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About Jane Robertson: A staff editor for the nature magazine Snowy Egret, Jane has written for various Midwestern periodicals and the Southern Baptist Convention's Ambassador Life. Her book about a Scottish immigrant, Hope Was Worth the Risk, was published in 1995. She contributed to the Dawkins Project's upcoming CeLEBRATIONS: Notes to My Grandfather.
E-mail Jane |
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