WPCNR’S CINEMAFANTIC: Rob Barrabee. Published with permission from The Yonkers Tribune. December 20, 2002:
What is it so many people said about Gus Van Sant’s Finding Forrester? Ah yes, they said that it’s Good Will Hunting moved to the inner city. Well, if that is true, than Antwone Fisher is Good Will Hunting moved to the inner city, and then moved again to the Navy.
And, not surprisingly, if you liked Good Will Hunting, if you liked Finding Forrester, chances are you’ll like Antwone Fisher too.
It is a story that seems to work no matter where you put it. Wise but troubled youth, wise but also troubled mentor, working together so that each can feel better. Whether at Harvard, in the Bronx, or on a boat, this is feel-good stuff (and who doesn’t want to feel good?). Throw a little romance into the equation, as all three films dutifully do, and you’ve got a can’t miss winner.
Antwone even takes things a step further, with an added advantage that the other two films only wish they had: it’s true. The real Antwone Fisher even wrote the screenplay. Forget feel-good, this is feel-great.
Just because a movie is true, though, doesn’t mean it can’t be formulaic, and, as I’ve hopefully already implied, Antwone Fisher proves this. However, just because it’s formulaic doesn’t mean it can’t be good, and Antwone Fisher proves this too. It’s a good movie.
As the title suggests, Antwone Fisher tells the story of a man named Antwone Fisher (played by newcomer Derek Luke). As the movie unfolds, we learn that Antwone was an orphan and had a brutal, terrible foster experience, but he is strong, resilient, and determined to make good. To do so, he joins the Navy, but he can’t seem to go it alone.
Enter Doctor Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington). With the help of Doctor Davenport, Antwone hopes to overcome his past and live a meaningful future. I don’t think I need to tell you if he succeeds.
The film, directed by Denzel Washington (in his directorial debut), uses flashbacks to convey Antwone’s past. These flashbacks are extraordinarily powerful, and they help provide Antwone with the sympathy he deserves. The power of the flashbacks spawns largely from Novella Nelson, who plays Antwone’s foster mother, Mrs. Tate. Hers is one of the most unforgettable supporting performances in recent memory.
The film’s romance, between Antwone and fellow sailor Cheryl Smolley (played by model Joy Bryant), is nearly as effective as the flashbacks, and I attribute this almost entirely to the captivating, shyly sweet charisma of Mr. Luke. He is a fine new actor and his future, like Antwone’s, ought to be bright.
The scenes between Antwone and Davenport work too, but of course they do. Denzel Washington, as an actor, can make good out of almost anything (except, I suppose, the awful ‘John Q’).
As a director, the only decidedly negative thing I can say about Denzel Washington is that his film’s conclusion left me a bit flat, but I still walked out of the theater feeling good.
Some are calling Antwone Fisher one of the year’s best films. I find this to be a grossly inflated assessment, but, for Good Will Hunting on a boat, it’s solid, enjoyable, and well worth the trip.
Antwone Fisher, directed by Denzel Washington. Written by Antwone Fisher. Starring Derek Luke, Joy Bryant, Viola Davis, and Denzel Washington. Running time: 113 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for language, sexuality, and violence)
