Marketed as a comedy, Good Fences is anything but. If you're expecting a barrel of laughs, rent something else for your weekend matinee. The story does seem light, centering on an affluent black family in the 1970s moving to the suburbs in Connecticut; but it's actually a study in class and character.
Danny Glover's character has worked his way up to becoming a prominent lawyer on track to being a judge. His wife, Whoopi Goldberg, has enjoyed her life as a wife and mother, and she supports him when he decides to move to a wealthier neighborhood. At first, their white neighbors are shocked at the "new element moved in next store"; one woman mistakes Whoopi for the family maid. They're expecting loud, funky music, crass behavior, a strange way of talking, and outlandish fashions. But - and here is the crux of the story - once the neighbors realize their new neighbors dress, talk, and act just like them, the problem completely disappears. Whoopi is included in their parties, Danny is a respected member of their community, and their two teenaged children are completely accepted.
In the second half of the movie, another black family moves onto the same street. Once again the neighbors are apprehensive. This time, the matriarch (played by Mo'nique) does look, talk, and act differently than them. Here, the film takes a racial stance, but I disagree with the message. The film argues that Whoopi has only been accepted because she's "turned white". When a friend from her old neighborhood visits her in her new home, she's shocked at the change. Whoopi "acts white", in her opinion. Every furniture in the house is white, the food she serves is far more expensive and unusual than she used to eat, and a black servant works in the kitchen. However - this movie proves much more of a class distinction than a racial one. If Whoopi "turned white" and her neighbors never accepted her, it would prove they were blinded by the color of her skin. But they completely accepted her. The fact that they shunned Mo'nique when she moved in had nothing to do with her race. She was not married to a high-end lawyer. She had won the lottery and decided to buy a million-dollar mansion. She didn't know how to conduct herself in high-class situations. If she were a white lottery winner, the neighbors would have gossiped about her and called her white-trash.
Parts of the script try to lighten the mood by making fun of the suburbs, but the majority of the film is pretty dramatic. Whoopi's reaction to her new life and new friends is apparent to the audience, but not to her husband: she's not coping. She has a constant inner monologue that shows her insecurity, and she starts relying on alcohol and pain pills to distract her from her "shallow" new life. There are also a few flashbacks thrown into the story that really show why Whoopi and Danny feel the way they do. Whoopi's past shows that she always felt like an unloved misfit; Danny's shows his deep fear of being attacked by white men. When they first got together, their similar feelings brought them close. But decades later, the slight differences threaten to drive them apart.
I really enjoyed this movie. It was very funny to see the two leads cast as husband and wife again, twenty years after The Color Purple. And I always appreciate when Hollywood allows Whoopi Goldberg to show some actual acting, rather than relegating her to the comic relief. Danny Glover has had a much more drama-heavy career, so if you're expecting a heavy performance from him as well, you won't be disappointed.
Danny Glover's character has worked his way up to becoming a prominent lawyer on track to being a judge. His wife, Whoopi Goldberg, has enjoyed her life as a wife and mother, and she supports him when he decides to move to a wealthier neighborhood. At first, their white neighbors are shocked at the "new element moved in next store"; one woman mistakes Whoopi for the family maid. They're expecting loud, funky music, crass behavior, a strange way of talking, and outlandish fashions. But - and here is the crux of the story - once the neighbors realize their new neighbors dress, talk, and act just like them, the problem completely disappears. Whoopi is included in their parties, Danny is a respected member of their community, and their two teenaged children are completely accepted.
In the second half of the movie, another black family moves onto the same street. Once again the neighbors are apprehensive. This time, the matriarch (played by Mo'nique) does look, talk, and act differently than them. Here, the film takes a racial stance, but I disagree with the message. The film argues that Whoopi has only been accepted because she's "turned white". When a friend from her old neighborhood visits her in her new home, she's shocked at the change. Whoopi "acts white", in her opinion. Every furniture in the house is white, the food she serves is far more expensive and unusual than she used to eat, and a black servant works in the kitchen. However - this movie proves much more of a class distinction than a racial one. If Whoopi "turned white" and her neighbors never accepted her, it would prove they were blinded by the color of her skin. But they completely accepted her. The fact that they shunned Mo'nique when she moved in had nothing to do with her race. She was not married to a high-end lawyer. She had won the lottery and decided to buy a million-dollar mansion. She didn't know how to conduct herself in high-class situations. If she were a white lottery winner, the neighbors would have gossiped about her and called her white-trash.
Parts of the script try to lighten the mood by making fun of the suburbs, but the majority of the film is pretty dramatic. Whoopi's reaction to her new life and new friends is apparent to the audience, but not to her husband: she's not coping. She has a constant inner monologue that shows her insecurity, and she starts relying on alcohol and pain pills to distract her from her "shallow" new life. There are also a few flashbacks thrown into the story that really show why Whoopi and Danny feel the way they do. Whoopi's past shows that she always felt like an unloved misfit; Danny's shows his deep fear of being attacked by white men. When they first got together, their similar feelings brought them close. But decades later, the slight differences threaten to drive them apart.
I really enjoyed this movie. It was very funny to see the two leads cast as husband and wife again, twenty years after The Color Purple. And I always appreciate when Hollywood allows Whoopi Goldberg to show some actual acting, rather than relegating her to the comic relief. Danny Glover has had a much more drama-heavy career, so if you're expecting a heavy performance from him as well, you won't be disappointed.