what happens at the end of fences movie

The final moments of Fences are pretty darn awesome. On the day of Troy's funeral, his brother Gabriel returns to open the gates of heaven for him...and succeeds. Gabriel suffered a head wound during World War II and now has a metal plate in his head.

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What happens at the end of fences?

The final moments of Fences are pretty darn awesome. On the day of Troy's funeral, his brother Gabriel returns to open the gates of heaven for him...and succeeds. Gabriel suffered a head wound during World War II and now has a metal plate in his head.

What is the plot of the play Fences?

Plot Summary. Fences is divided into two acts. Act One is comprised of four scenes and Act Two has five. The play begins on a Friday, Troy and Bono's payday. Troy and Bono go to Troy's house for their weekly ritual of drinking and talking. Troy has asked Mr. Rand, their boss, why the black employees aren't allowed to drive the garbage trucks,...

What is the significance of the final scene of the play?

The final scene of the play can be understood through the same language of baseball that Troy Maxson uses to narrate his own life. In an earlier scene, Troy compared his relationships with Rose, Cory, and Alberta to running the bases on a baseball diamond. It is Troy, however, that the audience now sees has struck out.

What does Troy tell Rose about the fence he is building?

Bono bets Troy that if he finishes building the fence for Rose, Bono will buy his wife, Lucille the refrigerator he has promised her for a long time. Troy tells Rose about a hearing in three weeks to determine whether or not Gabriel should be recommitted to an asylum. Troy tells Rose about his affair.

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What happens to Troy at the end of Fences?

Troy has died from a heart attack when he was swinging a bat at the baseball that hangs from a tree in their yard. Cory returns home from the Marines in his uniform. Lyons also comes home to go to the funeral.

What does the ending of Fences symbolize?

The fence appears finished only in the final scene of the play, when Troy dies and the family reunites. The wholeness of the fence comes to mean the strength of the Maxson family and ironically the strength of the man who tore them apart, who also brings them together one more time, in death.

What was the point of the movie Fences?

“Fences” is a film about how our environment shapes us, and how, no matter how noble their intentions, our parents can't help but mess us up in some fashion, just as their parents had done for them. This is our legacy as humans.

Does Rose forgive Troy?

Rose rejects Troy as her partner because she takes seriously the Biblical commandment that decrees, "Thou Shalt Not Sin," but finds forgiveness for the child born to her sinful husband because of her belief that "when the sins of our fathers visit us/we don't have to play host/we can banish them with forgiveness/as God ...

What does Gabriel realize at the end of Fences?

Peter told him to blow the horn when it's time to open heaven's gates for the day of judgment. So Gabriel decides that the day of his brother's funeral is the day of judgment for everybody.

Why did Troy cheat on Rose?

Before Rose responds, Troy muses that he cheated on his wife because he has felt restrained and worn out due to “standing in the same place for eighteen years” (Wilson 2.1).

Why did Troy Maxson go to jail?

KEYES: Troy Maxson served 15 years in prison for murder before meeting Rose and taking a job as a garbage man in Pittsburgh.

Is Fences movie a true story?

Fences tells a story that many American families can relate to, but that doesn't mean that Fences is a true story. In fact, Fences is based on a play by the same name from renowned playwright August Wilson.

Who is the antagonist of Fences?

In Fences, the antagonist is Troy's behavior. He tires to make his life better for himself and his family but his human failings get in the way. Set in the 1950s, Fences describes the frustrations of an African-American man. Troy had wanted to play baseball professionally, but was not able to.

What happens to Troy and Alberta's baby?

The phone rings and Rose goes to answer it. She comes back out and tells Troy that it was the hospital calling. Alberta has had the child but died in the process.

What does Troy say to death at the end of the scene?

17) At the end of this scene, Troy tells Death that he "can't taste nothing no more," & that "It's between you & me now! Come on! Anytime you want!" (Wilson 89).

What mistake does Rose admit making in her marriage?

22) On page 98, Rose admits that her mistake was not forcing Troy to make room for her in their lives/marriage: "That was my first mistake. Not to make him leave some room for me. For my part in the matter."

What does the fence symbolize in the boy in striped pajamas?

The fence that marks the boundary of Out-With (Auschwitz) Camp is a powerful symbol of division. The nature of this division is at once material and metaphorical. Materially, the fence functions to imprison European Jews, physically separating them from the non-Jewish population.

What is the symbolic value of the blues song at the end of Fences?

His song, "Hear it Ring Hear it Ring!" was passed on to him by his father and in the last scene of the play, we witness Cory and Raynell singing the song together after Troy's death. The blues in Fences connects generations together and keeps alive a family's roots and history beyond the grave.

What is the irony in Fences?

The prevailing irony in Fences is that it is the protagonist himself, Troy Maxson, and not society that provides the obstacles or "fences" in his life that keep him hemmed in and unfulfilled emotionally. The fence between Troy and his wife Rose is Troy's infidelity.

What is the meaning of the play Fences?

Updated: May 11th, 2020. In his play Fences, the playwright August Wilson presents audiences with a family at the cusp between complete segregation and the civil rights movement, and between demoralization and stability.

What does Cory throw at Troy?

Cory lashes out and throws his helmet at Troy, who warns his son not to disrespect him again. Troy (who is illiterate) signs papers rerouting half of Gabriel's pension to a psychiatric hospital, forcing Gabriel to be institutionalized. The other half of Gabe's pension is to be sent monthly to Troy.

What happened to Alberta after Troy impregnates her?

After Troy impregnates Alberta, he is forced to reveal his affair to Rose, which leads to an argument in which Troy aggressively grabs Rose's arm. Cory intervenes and knocks Troy into the fence. Months later, Alberta dies in childbirth. Troy angrily challenges "Mr. Death" to another fight.

How did Troy die in the movie?

Six years later, Troy has died of a heart attack, and Cory, now a USMC corporal, returns home, but informs Rose he will not attend Troy's funeral. Rose admits to loving Troy despite his many flaws and pleads that Troy is still a part of Cory. Cory reconsiders after sharing memories of Troy with Raynell.

How much did fences make?

Fences grossed $57.7 million in the United States and Canada and $6.7 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $64.4 million, against a production budget of $24 million.

What is Troy's baby daughter's name?

Troy brings his baby daughter, Raynell, home , and Rose agrees to raise her as her own, but refuses to accept Troy back into her life. Cory is considering enlisting in the United States Marine Corps, having missed his opportunity to attend college with a football scholarship. One day, when Cory returns home, an intoxicated and bitter Troy blocks his path and instigates a fight in which Cory swings at Troy with a baseball bat. Troy grabs the bat from Cory and drives him out of the yard. Disoriented, Troy once again challenges Death to come for him.

What is the rating of Fences?

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 92% based on 269 reviews, with an average rating of 7.60/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "From its reunited Broadway stars to its screenplay, the solidly crafted Fences finds its Pulitzer-winning source material fundamentally unchanged — and still just as powerful." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 79 out of 100, based on 48 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.

Where was Fences filmed?

Principal photography on the film began in April 25, 2016, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the Hill District, and wrapped in mid-June 2016. Fences was released in the United States on December 16, 2016, by Paramount Pictures. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at Washington's performance and direction, ...

What does Raynell tell Cory about Blue?

Raynell comes back out and asks Cory if he knows about Blue. Raynell tells him that Blue is Troy’s old dog he always used to sing about. Together they start singing Troy’s song about Blue. The final verse is about Blue’s funeral and ends with Blue “treeing possums in the Promised Land.”

What does Bono tell Cory about Troy?

Bono and Lyons come out of the house and marvel at Cory’s transformation. Bono tells Cory that he looks like Troy as a young man. Lyons dotes on Raynell and Rose introduces the girl to Cory, the older brother she’s never met. Rose tries to feed Cory breakfast, but he refuses. Lyons and Cory talk for a while.

What does Rose tell Troy about his shadow?

She tells him that Troy’s shadow in his life was nothing but “you growing into yourself.” She tells him, “Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t …and at the same time he tried to make you into everything he was.” Rose tells him that she once thought Troy could fill all the empty spaces in her life as a mother and a wife but that Troy was so big, he filled the whole place up. In order to keep his strength, she had to give up some of hers. Taking in Raynell offered her the chance to once again be a mother, to have “all them babies I had wanted but never had.”

What is the second important action in the play?

The second important action in this scene is Gabriel’s entrance to blow the trumpet and let Troy into heaven. Earlier in the play, Gabriel assured Troy that St. Peter had his name written in his book in heaven. This would be his ticket through the pearly gates. Gabriel’s trumpet, however, does not emit a sound.

What does Lyons tell Rose about Troy's funeral?

Lyons comes out and tells Rose he knew that the hospital would let him out to come to Troy’s funeral. Gabe tells Rose that it’s time, that he’s “gonna tell St. Peter to open the gates.”. He picks up his old trumpet without a mouthpiece and gets ready to blow.

What does Rose tell Rose about Raynell?

Rose tells her that she just has to give it a chance. As Raynell continues to poke at her garden with a stick, Cory enters, dressed in a Marine corporal’s uniform. “His posture is that of a military man, and his speech has a clipped sternness.”.

What did Troy compare his relationships with?

In an earlier scene, Troy compared his relationships with Rose, Cory, and Alberta to running the bases on a baseball diamond. It is Troy, however, that the audience now sees has struck out. His first strike came with his unfaithfulness to Rose, the woman who supported and stood by him for half her life.

What song does Cory and Raynell sing about Troy's father?

Cory and Raynell compare their memories of Troy as a father. Raynell and Cory sing Troy's blues song about the old dog named Blue which Troy's father taught him originally. Gabriel shows up, having been released or having escaped from the mental hospital. He has his trumpet in hand.

How did Raynell experience Troy's parenting?

Raynell experienced Troy's parenting after he and Rose stopped loving each other and after Cory left home. Cory experienced Troy at his worst as a parent and husband. Lyons had very little chance to know Troy as a father at all. Bono and Rose knew Troy in his prime as a ballplayer and witnessed his demise.

Why does Rose ask Raynell to change her shoes?

Rose asks Raynell to change her shoes to prepare for Troy's funeral. Troy has died from a heart attack when he was swinging a bat at the baseball that hangs from a tree in their yard. Cory returns home from the Marines in his uniform. Lyons also comes home to go to the funeral.

What does Rose teach Cory about Troy?

Rose teaches Cory that not attending Troy's funeral does not make Cory a man. Cory attempts to explain why he has mixed feelings for Troy. Cory says to Rose, "Papa was like a shadow that followed you everywhere.". Cory and Raynell compare their memories of Troy as a father.

Why does Cory forgive Troy?

When Cory and Raynell sing Troy's father's song about the dog named Blue together, Cory forgives Troy because he witnesses the love and the lessons that Troy passed on to his children. Cory experiences the song as evidence that Troy's deeds were derived from what Troy knew in life.

What did Troy do with what he had?

Troy did what he could with what he had and did his best to give what little he had to his family. Cory was hindered by Troy's mistakes, but will become a better person than his father because of what he learned as a result of Troy's struggle with himself. Previous section Act Two: Scene Four. Test your knowledge.

What happens in the last scene of Troy?

Troy has died in between the action of the last two scenes of the play, so the final scene presents the lasting effects of Troy's life on his loved ones. Though Troy's relationships with Bono, Rose, and Cory were ruined and broken in life, they gather together in his honor.

Why does Gabriel blow the trumpet?

Gabriel always carries around a trumpet and says St. Peter told him to blow the horn when it's time to open heaven's gates for the day of judgment. So Gabriel decides that the day of his brother's funeral is the day of judgment for everybody. He triumphantly raises the trumpet to his mouth and blows as hard as he can.

What happened to Gabriel in Fences?

On the day of Troy's funeral, his brother Gabriel returns to open the gates of heaven for him...and succeeds. Gabriel suffered a head wound during World War II and now has a metal plate in his head. The man thinks he is the archangel Gabriel. Throughout the play he's gone around talking about judgment day. Gabriel always carries around a trumpet and says St. Peter told him to blow the horn when it's time to open heaven's gates for the day of judgment.

How does Gabriel open the way for his brother?

It looks like Gabriel has opened the way for his brother by finding the place in himself that's still connected in some instinctual way to Africa. It's quite powerful that Wilson chooses to end his mostly realistic play with this moment of magic.

What does Gabriel's trumpet fail to make?

When Gabriel's trumpet fails to make a sound, you could interpret it as Christianity itself failing him. When Gabriel begins his dance, he reaches within himself and finds a dance hidden inside him, a dance buried by centuries of white oppression.

What does "atavistic" mean?

In case you didn't know, "atavistic" means "reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type" ( source ). The word "primitive," and even "atavistic," can have offensive or racist connotations when it refers to race.

What does Bono bet on Rose?

Troy tells Rose about a hearing in three weeks to determine whether or not Gabriel should be recommitted to an asylum. Troy tells Rose about his affair.

What does Bono and Troy remember about their fathers?

Bono and Troy remember their fathers and their childhood experiences of leaving home in the south and moving north. Cory comes home enraged after finding out that Troy told the football coach that Cory may not play on the team. Troy warns Cory that his insubordinance is "strike one," against him.

Why does Rose want the fence?

Bono and Troy work on the fence. Bono explains to Troy and Cory that Rose wants the fence because she loves her family and wants to keep close to her love. Troy admits to Bono that he is having an affair with Alberta.

Why did Troy take Gabriel away from Cory?

Rose tells Troy that Gabriel has been taken away to the asylum because Troy couldn't read the papers and signed him away. Alberta had a baby girl but died during childbirth.

How many scenes are there in Fences?

Fences. Fences is divided into two acts. Act One is comprised of four scenes and Act Two has five. The play begins on a Friday, Troy and Bono's payday. Troy and Bono go to Troy's house for their weekly ritual of drinking and talking.

Why does Lyons show up at Troy's house?

Lyons shows up at the house because he knows it is Troy's payday. Rose reminds Troy about the fence she's asked him to finish building. Cory and Troy work on the fence. Cory breaks the news to Troy that he has given away his job at the local grocery store, the A&P, during the football season.

Why didn't Troy play in the Major Leagues?

Troy was in the Negro Leagues but never got a chance to play in the Major Leagues because he got too old to play just as the Major Leagues began accepting black players. Troy goes into a long epic story about his struggle in July of 1943 with death. Lyons shows up at the house because he knows it is Troy's payday.

Mistakes

Revealing mistake: When Hobbes is searching for information about Milano, he types his search into the webcrawler search engine and it takes him straight to the front page of the newspaper that is reporting on the events he is searching for. With the search terms he used there is no way he would get that result.

Quotes

Jonesy: If it wasn't for pizza and other fine Italian foods, there would be no happiness.

Overview

Production

The film was adapted from August Wilson's play Fences. Production culminated in the 2016 release of the film, over a decade after Wilson's death.
Previous attempts to adapt Fences for the screen had been fruitless, partly due to Wilson's insistence on an African-American director. In a 2013 interview with Empire, Denzel Washington expressed his intention to star in and direct an adaptation of Fences, reprising his role from the …

Plot

Cast

Release

Reception

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External links