Antwone Fisher
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The story opens with Antwone at seven years old (Malcolm David Kelley), dreaming of a large family with a huge feast in his honor. Then reality sets in as we discover Antwone was abandoned by his incarcerated mother, Eva Elkins (Viola Davis). He was born in prison and given into an orphanage and into foster care and on the streets because his mother just did not claim him when she was released. Antwone was given into the care of a despicable two-faced woman, Mrs. Tate (Novella Nelson) who was a model “Christian” in church but a horrendous child abuser at home. Mrs. Tate was violently abusive of Antwone. In addition to vicious verbal and emotional abuse she would beat him and another boy with a wet towel and threaten Antwone with a burning rolled-up newspaper. It was Nadine (Yolonda Ross) in Mrs. Tates house who raped Antwone and forced him to perform sexual favors for her. Where is Antwones father, Edward Elkins (Seane LaDae)? Dead. One of his girl friends killed him with a shotgun while Eva was in prison and before he even met Antwone.
At 25 years old and after time in reform school, Antwone joins the Navy. He is now a sailor who is always in trouble for not being able to control his anger. Imagine that! Any goading or tormenting would set him off. For one of the times Antwone blew up he was committed to the treatment of Commander Dr. Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington). At first, Antwone refused to talk. Dr. Davenport told Antwone “Okay, Ill just do some work while you sit there.” This happened several times until Antwone finally decided to open up.
After hearing of Antwones history, Davenport surmised the only way Antwone would come to terms with his horrible past would be to confront those responsible. Fortunately, a solid and compassionate female sailor Cheryl (Joy Bryant) came along and helped Antwone through it all as he finally mustered the strength to travel back to Cleveland to look up his mother and father. The relationship between Antwone and Cheryl is warm, even-paced, responsible and comfortable until they cohabitate in Cleveland. And as with most cohabitating couples, they end up in bed together (if the filmmakers have it right). Though unseen and unheard, intercourse is obvious. Antwone was a virgin until then. A condition that was a nemesis for him and his relationships with his fellow sailors who taunted him about it, as if virginity is disease.
There is much more to the story but I want to spend a paragraph on the ending because it really identified “family.” After hundreds of phone calls in Cleveland by Antwone and Cheryl, Antwone found one who was his aunt. Arriving at his aunts, his uncle, I believe it was Duke (O.L. Duke), knew Antwones mother and took him to meet her. Though Antwone was man enough to forgive his mother and kiss her cheek, that was not the greatest jewel in this subplot. The next