Summary
- Fences, Denzel Washington's adaptation of August Wilson's play, resonated with audiences worldwide due to its universal importance.
- Viola Davis received critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including an Oscar and a BAFTA, for her emotional and vulnerable performance.
- Fences was honored at the Black Reel Awards, which celebrate Black actors and actresses, and received recognition at the Critics' Choice Awards, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards, showcasing the appreciation for the film and performances.
Denzel Washington’s cinematic adaptation of Fences ranked among the most critically acclaimed projects of 2016, going on to secure plenty of nominations (and even some victories) at the Academy Awards the following year. The movie is an adaptation of August Wilson’s popular stage play of the same name, which follows a man named Troy who once dreamed of being a baseball player but missed out, carrying the loss with him for the rest of his life. It’s a dramatic examination of how racism and inequality can burrow into a person’s life and be carried down to the next generation.
Fences might not be based on real life, but it’s an incredibly authentic story that resonated with the experiences of audiences around the world. It’s this universal importance that made Fences a must-watch upon release, with Washington and Davis’ performances allowing for some real critical acclaim that ultimately took the project to the Oscars. It was nominated for four separate awards on the night — but the Oscars weren’t the only ceremony that honored the movie.
Viola Davis Won The Best ing Actress Oscar For Fences
The biggest victory for Fences at the Academy Awards was undeniably its success in the Best ing Actress category, with Davis taking home the award. She was pitted against Naomie Harris for Moonlight, Nicole Kidman for Lion, Octavia Spencer for Hidden Figures, and Michelle Williams for Manchester By The Sea. None of them were able to top Davis’ incredibly emotional and vulnerable work in Fences. In many ways, her character, Rose, is the most important figure in the story, and Davis' performance ensured that her narrative really shone through. She more than deserved her Oscar for the role, as well as the other honors she took home.
Viola Davis' Fences Performance Won Her The BAFTA For Best Actress In A ing Role
Before taking home the Oscar, Davis was also given the BAFTA for Best ing Actress. This is one of the biggest precursors for anybody looking to secure an Oscar nomination, so the victory was undoubtedly helpful in carving the actress’ path to the Academy Awards. She faced off against most of the same actresses at the Oscars, except for Octavia Spencer’s substitution for Hayley Squires in I, Daniel Blake. This was the actress’ first time winning a BAFTA, so it’s fitting that it was for one of Viola Davis’ best films yet.
Denzel Washington & Viola Davis Won Black Reel Awards For Their Fences Roles
Although the Black Reel Awards aren’t a typically crucial factor in the race to the Oscars, the success of Fences at this ceremony was incredibly touching. The awards celebrate the talents of Black actors and actresses, and Fences was an extremely important project for this community. It dealt with a lot of sensitive topics, such as generational racism, missed opportunities, and Black family dynamics. That propelled the movie to new levels of acclaim at the time. Washington and Davis were both given their respective awards at the Black Reels, allowing the project to gather even more hype and appreciation.
Viola Davis Won A Critics' Choice Award For Best ing Actress
The Critics' Choice Awards are huge precursor in the race to the Oscars, but their results are often varied, as they’re cast by critics rather than of the industry (or even the public). This can sometimes cause a disparity between the Critics' Choice winners and the Academy Awards winners — but not with Fences. Davis also won Best ing Actress here, proving once again that her road to success wasn’t just paved by her status in the industry but rather by the genuine appreciation of film critics. Washington was also nominated here for both Best Actor and Best Director.
Viola Davis Won A Golden Globe For Best ing Actress
The Golden Globes are much more of an industry-focused awards ceremony, but that doesn’t mean that Davis’ success here was any less valuable than the others where she thrived. It was the beginning of her awards sweep for Fences and the place where she really started to gather momentum for the Oscar she eventually took home. Interestingly, Davis’ competition at the Golden Globes was exactly the same as what she faced at the Oscars, which doesn’t happen that often.
Denzel Washington & Viola Davis Won SAG Awards For Their Performances
The SAG Awards was the only major industry ceremony where Washington was rewarded for his acting work in Fences. This is extremely surprising, as the project is one of Washington’s best movies. Thankfully, his fellow peers recognized just how incredible his performance (and Davis') had been, leading them both to victory at the ceremony. Washington saw himself nominated alongside actors including Casey Affleck, Andrew Garfield, and Ryan Gosling, while Davis was competing once again against the same four Oscar nominees.
Winning the SAG Award was a particularly great achievement for both actors, as it was an indication of just how revered they are by their peers. It’s voted entirely by of the Screen Actors’ Guild, which means everybody who praised their performances knows exactly how difficult and straining it must’ve been on set. There are very few awards that can mean quite as much to an actor.
Why Denzel Washington Didn't Win Best Actor At The 2017 Oscars
Although Washington was nominated at the Oscars for Best Actor, he didn't secure a victory. The category was absolutely brimming with talent, as Washington was forced to compete against Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea, Ryan Gosling in La La Land, Andrew Garfield in Hacksaw Ridge, and Viggo Mortensen in Captain Fantastic. While it’s true that Washington is a hugely popular figure in the industry (and popularity can go a long way at the Oscars), the campaigns for those other movies had been much stronger and more widespread than Fences. This may have been a key contributor to Washington’s loss.
Another potential reason for Washington's loss was his failure to win any of the major precursors outside the SAG Awards. Affleck took home the Golden Globe, Critics' Choice Award, and the BAFTA. This gave Affleck an advantage over Washington on the night of the Oscars, but it’s also true that his performance was just undeniably deserving of a win. Washington has been providing excellent work for several decades, but Manchester by the Sea was a kind of breakthrough for Affleck, bringing him into the spotlight for the first time at this magnitude. Still, both actors would’ve been deserving winners, and it’s undeniably disappointing that Washington didn't secure more for Fences.
