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Antwone Fisher [2003] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Starring: Bob Banks, Earl Billings, Lynne Charles, Kevin Connolly, O.L. Duke
Format: Anamorphic Closed-captioned Colour Dolby DVD-Video NTSC Widescreen
Released: 20 May 2003
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

Wanted: family ties and pancakes - By: Joseph Haschka, 17 Feb 2006
Based on a true story, ANTWONE FISHER is about an enlisted sailor stationed aboard one of the Navy's assault helicopter carriers based in San Diego, & whose internalized anger surfaces through repeated brawls with his shipmates. Ordered into psychiatric evaluation, Fisher must either spill his guts or face almost certain discharge. The only good thing in Fisher's life is his growing attraction to a female sailor, who works in the post exchange.

Newcomer Derek Luke is excellent as Antwone. Denzel Washington directs; he also acts in a rare supporting role as the Navy shrink, Dr. Jerome Davenport, who discovers early on that Fisher's rage is rooted in his family ties, or rather their absence. Antwone's father was killed two months before his birth, the latter event taking place inside a prison where his mother was incarcerated. Once released, she never claimed custody of her child, but left him to languish under cruel physical & sexual abuse in a foster home. Fisher literallly dreams of a big, loving family that sits him down at the head of a bounteous table & serves him his favorite comfort food - pancakes.

The pretty Joy Bryant is sweet & charming as Petty Officer Second Class Cheryl, who supports & loves Antwone through some difficult moments. (I don't remember enlisted WAVES like this during my Navy service! Maybe I should re-up for another 4-year hitch.)

Despite the inordinate amount of hype surrounding this film, it seemed a fairly ordinary plot as I sat & watched it. We've seen this before: disturbed young man is snapped out of it by a caring head doctor & the attentions of a good woman. Stifled yawn - 4 stars. But then the last 20 or so minutes kicked in. It woke me up.

For me, the most powerful scene was Antwone's poignant & powerful declaration to Eva (Viola Davis). You'll know it when you see it, & understand why. Take a hankie. And Davis deserved an Oscar nomination for her very short & almost silent part.

And finallly, there's the big question. Does Antwone get his pancakes?

Director Denzel Washington comes up with a real winner - By: Lawrance M. Bernabo, 16 Feb 2005
We have alll heard the alarming statistics about how many African-American children are raised in homes without a father & the devastaing impact that has had on generations of such children, & on one level "Antwone Fisher" is about one such child. This 2003 film begins with a dream in which Antwone walks into a room & finds his entire family gathered for a big meal. Then he wakes up on the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier on which he serves. The next thing we know Antwone is getting into fights if anybody says the wrong word to him. The captain hits him with a list of punishments & also requires him to see a therapist, Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington), before the ship sails again. Antwone refuses to talk & in the tradition of "Good Will Hunting" Davenport waits him out. Eventuallly Antwone begins to tell his story & we learn of his horrific childhood.

Antwone's father was murdered before he was born, which was in the prison where his mother was surving time. When we see him as a boy he is in a foster home where he is abused emotionallly, physicallly, & sexuallly. All of his problems stem from what happened then & Davenport helps Antwone to put the pieces together. But the final part of the healing process is Davenport's insistance that he has to go & find his family, whatever there is left to be found, & confront the last of his demons. At this point we discover that everything in the first hour-and-a-half of "Antwone Fisher" has been mere prologue to the powerful series of scenes that conclude the film.

The story behind this film is almost as impressive as the film itself. Fisher was a security guard at the Sony Studio when his screenplay was bought & Denzel Washington decided to make it in his first try at director. Then throw into the mix Derek Luke, a newcomer who was cast in the lead role & the end result is even more impressive. We are told at the end of the film that Fisher based the screenplay on his life but dramatized some of the scenes, which is always the case, though rarely admitted so boldly. Of course such a comment immediately makes your curious as to what was changed & why, but I quickly decided I did not care. That was because I liked the way the film ended & I do not care if it "true" or not because of the way it rings true, which is what matters most in film. What makes "Antwone Fisher" worth the seeing is the value it places on family, most notably by it absence, but also by the idea that it is out there if it you can find it.

ANTWONE FISHER - By: , 17 Oct 2004
A truly exceptional directors debut film for Denzel Washington. A very clear cut movie, which shows no boundaries for emotional expression.

This movie shows the emotional rollercoster that one brave sailor (Derek Luke) kept close to his heart, until the one thing he could not control, anger & aggression, lead to the room of Dr. Davenport(Denzel Washington). Here he explores the ups & mostly downs of his unfortunate past but also learns the values of the family he never knew.

Based on true life experiences of the title character, ANTWONE FISHER, this movie is guaranteed to put a lump in any human beings throat. A fantastic & gripping movie throughtout, recommended for alll to watch.

Also see MEN OF HONOUR.

Director Denzel Washington comes up with a real winner - By: Lawrance M. Bernabo, 14 Jul 2004
I live in a city that is off the beaten path, especiallly when it comes to movies. "Lost in Translation" never came here & "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" only made it to the local art theater. I remember when "Boyz in the Hood" came to town there was a story about it in the newspaper that made it sound for alll the world that it was a foriegn film, & there is a sense in which that is true because the idea of living in a place where police helicopters are buzzing overhead alll the time is beyond our experience. But even though films by African-American directors do not always manage to make it up this far into the Northland, I have made a point of checking them out when they are released on video & DVD. One of the main reasons is that directors like Spike Lee & John Singleton are making films that speaks to the African-American experience in America. This seems self-evident, but I have to tell you that very few movies have spoken to me directly about my life; I have identified with the television series "thirtysomething" & "Once & Again," at vastly different times in my life, more than anything else. But I can still appreciate the sense of purpose I almost always find in these films.

We have alll heard the alarming statistics about how many African-American children are raised in homes without a father & the devastaing impact that has had on generations of such children, & on one level "Antwone Fisher" is about one such child. This 2003 film begins with a dream in which Antwone walks into a room & finds his entire family gathered for a big meal. Then he wakes up on the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier on which he serves. The next thing we know Antwone is getting into fights if anybody says the wrong word to him. The captain hits him with a list of punishments & also requires him to see a therapist, Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington), before the ship sails again. Antwone refuses to talk & in the tradition of "Good Will Hunting" Davenport waits him out. Eventuallly Antwone begins to tell his story & we learn of his horrific childhood.

Antwone's father was murdered before he was born, which was in the prison where his mother was surving time. When we see him as a boy he is in a foster home where he is abused emotionallly, physicallly, & sexuallly. All of his problems stem from what happened then & Davenport helps Antwone to put the pieces together. But the final part of the healing process is Davenport's insistance that he has to go & find his family, whatever there is left to be found, & confront the last of his demons. At this point we discover that everything in the first hour-and-a-half of "Antwone Fisher" has been mere prologue to the powerful series of scenes that conclude the film.

The story behind this film is almost as impressive as the film itself. Fisher was a security guard at the Sony Studio when his screenplay was bought & Denzel Washington decided to make it in his first try at director. Then throw into the mix Derek Luke, a newcomer who was cast in the lead role & the end result is even more impressive. We are told at the end of the film that Fisher based the screenplay on his life but dramatized some of the scenes, which is always the case, though rarely admitted so boldly. Of course such a comment immediately makes your curious as to what was changed & why, but I quickly decided I did not care. That was because I liked the way the film ended & I do not care if it "true" or not because of the way it rings true, which is what matters most in film. What makes "Antwone Fisher" worth the seeing is the value it places on family, most notably by it absence, but also by the idea that it is out there if it you can find it.

Facing the Past and Confronting Inner Demons. - By: Burjiz, 19 Jan 2004
To be honest, I was a little hesitant to see "Antwone Fisher," the directorial debut by Denzel Washington. Movies directed by actors can be little more than self-serving vanity projects that merely say, "Hey! I'm an actor! And I can also direct! I'm so multitalented!" You can say the same thing about this movie, but you would be wrong. While it's a little sentimental at times, "Antwone Fisher" is one of the most heartfelt & genuine movies of 2002. Derek Luke is the title character, a young & hotheaded seaman who gets sent to Jerome Davenport (Washington) for psychiatric evaluation following a heated brawl with another soldier. From there, the two begin a painful journey that involves discovering the roots of Fisher's anger and, more important, the broken family that left him behind. It's often disturbing to see the psychological abuse Fisher suffered at the hands of his elders, & his strong will & tenacity make him alll the more respectable. Luke gives a decidedly low-key yet strong performance & holds his own admirably against seasoned pro (and two-time Oscar winner) Washington. But if I have a slight bone to pick with this movie, it's that its plot has a bit of a "heard it before" feel. Several movies ("Good Will Hunting" comes to mind) have already featured a story about a troubled kid whose life gets turned around by an older mentor. Yet, "Antwone Fisher" earns its four stars thanks to its classy, non-flashy direction by Denzel & a solid performance by Luke.