Antwone Fisher (2002)

Director:

Denzel Washington

Writer (WGA):

Antwone Fisher (written by)

Release Date:

10 January 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Inspired by a true story.

Plot:

Antwone Fisher, a young navy man, is forced to see a psychiatrist after a violent outburst against a fellow crewman. During the course of treatment a painful past is revealed and a new hope begins.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Navy | Sailor | Beating | Anger

Awards:

14 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Derek Luke	...	Antwone Quenton 'Fish' Fisher
Malcolm David Kelley	...	Antwone Fisher Age 7
Cory Hodges	...	Antwone Fisher Age 14
Denzel Washington	...	Dr. Jerome Davenport
Joy Bryant	...	Cheryl Smolley
Salli Richardson-Whitfield	...	Berta Davenport (as Salli Richardson)
Leonard Earl Howze	...	Pork Chop
Kente Scott	...	Kansas City (as Kenté Scott)
Kevin Connolly	...	Slim
Rainoldo Gooding	...	Grayson
Novella Nelson	...	Mrs. Tate
Stephen Snedden	...	Berkley
Leo Nepomuceno	...	SP #1
Sung Kang	...	Receptionist
Cordell Stokes	...	Keith Age 5

Also Known As:

Finding Fish (USA) (working title)
Fish (USA) (original script title)
The Antwone Fisher Story (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, language and mature thematic material involving child abuse.

Runtime:

120 min | Canada:117 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:12 | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 (w) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39019) | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Cabrillo National Monument, Point Loma, San Diego, California, USA

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Trivia:

Derek Luke was working at the Sony Studios gift shop when he met Antwone Fisher who was working on the lot as a security guard. When Fisher's screenplay was bought by Fox Searchlight, Luke asked Fisher for a copy of the script. He went to the casting director unannounced and asked to audition. He has since admitted "I was so terrible I started crying" but Luke was invited to audition again. Denzel Washington came to the gift shop to tell Luke that he got the part.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the bedroom, after Thanksgiving dinner, Berta Davenport takes off her necklace twice.

Quotes:

Antwone Fisher: It don't matter what you tried to do, you couldn't destroy me! I'm still standing! I'm still strong! And I always will be.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2003) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Jumpi

A True Familial Drama

The violent and rebel twenty-five years old sailor Antwone Fisher (Derek Luke) is sent to three sessions for evaluation with the navy psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington), after another outburst and aggression against a superior ranked navy man. Reluctant in the beginning of the treatment, he gets confidence in Dr. Davenport and discloses his childhood, revealing painful traumas generated in his foster house. Meanwhile, he meets Cheryl Smolley (Joy Briant), and they fall in love for each other. Resolving his personal problems, Antwone becomes a new man. This true familial drama is a touching and positive story of a man who finds a friend and is sent back to a regular life. The direction of Denzel Washington is excellent, making sensitive, attractive and with good taste, a story about child abuse. In the hands of another director, it might be a very heavy story. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): 'Voltando a Viver' ('Returning to Live')