"So beautifully acted and directed, it's clear that Washington most certainly has a new career ahead of him if he so chooses." Doris Toumarkine FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL "Hard, endearing, caring, warm. Bring tissues." Ross Anthony HOLLYWOOD REPORT CARD "A riveting story well told." Ann Gorman WASHINGTON POST "An assured directorial debut that goes straight for the tear ducts." Desson Howe WASHINGTON POST "Splendidly illustrates the ability of the human spirit to overcome adversity." Rose 'Bams' Cooper 3BLACKCHICKS REVIEW

"It is an inspirational, heart-tugging story of the kind Oscar might be willing to embrace." Claudia Puig USA TODAY "A fine film that proves the past is never too bleak -- or the future too hopeless -- to discover a productive new life, and a home and family to share it." Rex Reed NEW YORK OBSERVER "I felt good while watching the movie and had an extra jump in my step as I walked out of the theater." JoBlo JOBLO'S MOVIE EMPORIUM "A special film with some really special performances from the young actors and of course Denzel Washington." Richard Roeper EBERT & ROEPER "Washington the director couldn't have made a smarter choice for the title role -- or chosen a more appropriate project to make his own." Lisa Schwarzbaum ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

At A Glance

In memory of my Father, Edward Elkins, whom I never had the pleasure and the honor to know. Antwone Fisher

There is so much I could write about when it comes to encouraging readers to see this directing debut film of Denzel Washingtons, "Antwone Fisher". But rather than have me do so, I've decided to let Antwone Fisher [yes he is real] tell you in his own words, after all, this is his story.
How peculiar and blue that those words, "You ain't nothing. You ain't never gonna' be nothing, 'cause you come from nothing" made for a fervent fuel that gave me strength and the courage to persevere. But there is more to it than that. At the age of 17 when I was homeless, all I had were my thoughts and the comfort of pretending that my situation would improve. I would think to myself, 'something good is about to happen.' I learned to convince myself of seemingly impossible things. Sometimes they would work out, sometimes they wouldn't, but I remained optimistic long before I knew the meaning of the word. It was that optimism coupled with my fear of failure that allowed me to hang in there for the nine years it took to bring this film to life. When I saw the film for the first time, I was overwhelmed by a mixture of feelings: fear, joy, pride and satisfaction - all of which still linger, and I am certain they will for the rest of my life. I hope others, too, walk away with those same feelings and the courage to do something to better the lives of children in general. I hope that after seeing the movie and reading my memoir that people will see that every child has value and boundless potential and that even if all one has to give is an encouraging word as a genuine gesture of care...that gift alone can save a child's life and give hope for the future.
Initially I wanted to tell my story because the opportunity presented itself and I was told that I could not do it, meaning that I did not have the aptitude to write. It reminded me of how I was always told as a child that I was worthless and that I would never accomplish anything in life - words that still haunt me. I became determined to write my story simply because I was told that I couldn't. Then, I discovered that it was cathartic and cleansing for me to write about my life. I felt free, free from what felt like secrets...free from the responsibility of such unhealthy shame. Having my story told gives me faith and encouragement and reminds me that there are good and unselfish people in the world; people who would help an absolute stranger by giving him the tools to pull himself up, giving him the chance to benefit society. Despite the unfortunate circumstances of my life, there is hope. The Story After eleven years of service in the U. S. Navy and a three-year stint as a federal correction officer, Antwone Fisher became a security guard at the Sony Pictures Entertainment lot in Los Angeles. He describes, "Working at Sony gave me a place to rest, to gather myself. I was becoming very lonely without the Navy family I had created and I began reflecting on my life. The laid-back work environment made for less distractions and I began thinking of my childhood and eventually decided that I should try to find my biological family." Fisher found relatives on his father's side who gave him an airplane ticket to spend Thanksgiving with them in Cleveland, but since he was only two months into the job, he had to tell his supervisor the whole story in order to get the time off. Little did he know that his story would have such impact that upon his return he would be approached to bring his story to film. Producer Todd Black first learned of Fisher's heart-wrenching story from his former college roommate Chris Smith. Committed to giving something back to the community after the devastating riots of 1992, Smith taught a free screenwriting class at the A.M.E. church in South Central Los Angeles. Fisher signed up for the class after learning about it from a friend. Smith taught Fisher the elements of screenplay development and introduced him to Black. Black was so moved by Fisher's story and so committed to helping him tell it, that he took Fisher under his wing. Fisher still finds that to be one of the biggest miracles of all. " I don't know why Todd decided to take a chance on meI wasn't a member of his community or anythingI was just this guy who came to his office. At the time I couldn't type; I typed with two fingers. But I didn't want to let Todd down since nobody else believed in me. He offered me an opportunity to do something better for myself" Black remembers, "It was an incredible story of survival and strength. So, the minute the studio said to me, `no, he can't write it,' it was not even a question to me. If I had to mortgage my house to give him the money to write it, I would have, because I knew in my heart that he could do it." Black reveals, "We worked for one year and went through draft after draft after draft - even as Antwone was still discovering parts of his life, including meeting his mother for the first time." Black credits the discipline that Fisher learned in the Navy with helping him to get through the exhaustive process of writing and re-writing. "Ultimately, a year later, the president of Fox called and said `You were right; he can write.' So he bought it and Antwone, in addition to going through the cathartic process of putting his life on paper, made more money selling it as a completed screenplay than he would have as a pitch." Black concludes, "One of the things I've really admired about Antwone is that he just wanted to make sure that this story was told for all of us, to understand the levels of abuse and learn how to break the cycle, break the pattern. A lot of people told Antwone that he couldn't do it and they could not get it in their heads that this wonderful, innocent kid wanted to write his own life story. I knew in my heart that he could do it." Fisher remembers, "Writing the screenplay was like a healing. It took me a long time to get myself together and a lot of people; strangers,- encouraged me. It helped to believe in myself, to realize that I had something to offer, and it showed me that I did have some power over myself, something inside me that I could use to further myself as a person and a human being. I hope that this movie will show people that you can amount to something, even if you don't initially show any outward indication of it." Once the project was green-lit, and rewrite after rewrite was completed, Black sent the script to Denzel Washington to play the role of Jerome Davenport, the psychiatrist. When Black finally received the call from Washington's agent, he was amazed to learn that Washington not only wanted to act in the film, he wanted it to be his directorial debut. Washington, who describes Fisher as "a poet," says of the story, "It touches on issues that have sort of been kept quiet, stayed within the home. That's one of the reasons why Antwone wanted his story told, to speak out to all those others who might be in hiding, or are struggling with it, that they also can survive. That became the reason I wanted to do the picture. I told Antwone, `It's not about me, or my debut. It's really about taking care of you and taking care of your story."' Fisher acknowledges, "Denzel could have directed almost anything he wanted, but he chose my screenplay, and I'm really grateful to him for choosing mine." Selected for the lead role of Antwone Fisher was Derek Luke, a young actor who worked at the Sony Pictures gift shop and had, coincidentally, become friends with Fisher during the time that he was writing the screenplay. Luke remembers his first reaction to the script, "When I finished it, I was in tears but with the tears there was healing going on, which is why I wanted to do it." Without ever enlisting the help of his newfound friend Fisher, Luke convinced a friend of a friend to allow him to read for the part. "I believed that the role was destined for me, so I got myself into the zone where nobody on the outside counted. When I went to read for Denzel and Todd, I said, `I heard somebody was doing my story and so I just showed up.' My heart was attached to this screenplay. You can't beat hearte, specially the right one, and I just felt like I had the right heart." The day Washington chose Luke for the role, he insisted that he be the one to deliver the good news to Luke, who was working at the Sony store. Black accompanied Washington on the walk to the store where ironically they found Luke with Fisher, who had stopped by to buy a t-shirt. Washington describes the moment, "I walked past the real Antwone and I said to Derek, 'Hey, Antwone. How's it going?' He said, `That's right, I am Antwone. I'm working on it. I'm Antwone." And I said, `No, you, you ARE Antwone. You got the part."' Washington describes Luke's reaction, "First he was stunned, then he practically broke down in tears, then joy, then he started to pray: it was really exciting." Luke remembers, "When he said, 'Hey, Antwone,' and I saw that he was seriously talking to me, the only thing I could do was hug him because it was a dream come true. I was the only person in my family, the new generation, that ever achieved one of their heart's desires!" Synopsis When Antwone Fisher [Derek Luke] is sent to Dr Jerome Davenport [Denzel Washington] for a psychiatric evalution which will decide his future in the Navy, he is very uncooperative. Davenport has only three sessions to come up with an assesment but Fisher is refusing to talk. Sensing something deep within this young coloured mans psyche is tearing him apart, Davenport plays a cat and mouse game of dogged silence until Fisher finally starts to reveal the truth about his past. Encourage by Davenport he tells of his childhood, from his birth in a womens prison, his upbring in the care of his abusive foster mother Mrs Tate [Novella Nelson], the beatings and torture, the racial slurs she handed out and the sexual abuse he suffered as a six year old at the hands of his twenty five year old foster sister. Now he wants to find his family. With the encouragement of Davenport and his girlfriend Cheryl [Joy Bryant] he travels back to Cleveland in the hope that he will find his natural mother and the answers to all those questions which have haunted him for years. The Verdict "Denzel Washington behind the camera? You'd better believe it! The Washington magic definately works with this gorgeous film on the life of a troubled young man. If you've never experienced that 'feel good' feeling, here's your chance then. "Antwone Fisher" starring Denzel Washington and Derek Luke, written by Antwone Fisher and directed by Denzel Washington will bring a lump to your throat, a tear to your eye and a feeling of utter elation mixed with boundless joy at the end. Mr Washington, you're definately one hell of an actor and a very savvy director." Cast & Crew

Derek Luke Malcolm David Kelley Cory Hodges Denzel Washington Joy Bryant Salli Richardson Leonard Earl Howze Kente Scott Kevin Connolly Rainoldo Gooding Novella Nelson Stephen Snedden Leo Nepomuceno Sung Kang Cordell Stokes Ellis Williams Timothy Reddick Yolonda Ross De'Angelo Wilson Jascha Washington Vernee Watson-Johnson Viola Davis Earl Billings Margaret Ford-Taylor Bob Banks

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Antwone Fisher Antwone Fisher [7] Antwone Fisher [14] Jerome Davenport Cheryl Berta Pork Chop Kansas City Slim Grayson Mrs Tate Berkley SP #1 Receptionist Keith [5] Reverend Tate Dwight [8] Nadine Jesse [19] Jesse [8] Annette Eva James Eda Horace

Directed by Denzel Washington Written by Antwone Fisher Original Music by Mychael Danna Cinematography by Philippe Rousselot Film Editing by Conrad Buff Casting by Robi Reed-Humes Production Design by Nelson Coates Art Direction by David Lazan Set Decoration by Anne D McCulley Costume Design by Sharen Davis Rated MA15+ [AUST] Run Time 120 minutes Copyright ©2003 - Fox Searchlight - All Rights Reserved Copyright©2003 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved