Product Details

• Actors: Denzel Washington, Derek Luke, Joy Bryant, Malcolm David Kelley, Cory Hodges
• Directors: Denzel Washington
• Writers: Antwone Fisher
• Producers: Denzel Washington, Antwone Fisher, Chris Smith, Gina White, Nancy Paloian
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Surround), French (Dolby Surround), Spanish (Dolby Surround)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Dubbed: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: May 20, 2003
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (165 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005JLRZ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,630 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Antwone Fisher (Widescreen Edition)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Denzel Washington makes his triumphant directorial debut and Derek Luke shines in his first big-screen role in "one of the most touching, heartwarming films of the year." (Jeffrey Lyons, WNBC-TV) Inspired by the true life experiences of its title character, Antwone Fisher tells the dramatic story of a troubled sailer (Luke) who is ordered to see a naval psychiatrist (Washington) about his volatile temper. Little does he know that his first step into the doctor's office will lead him on a remarkable emotional journey to confront his painful past--and connect with the family he never knew.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Facing the Past and Confronting Inner Demons. June 1, 2003

By The Groove

Format:DVD

To be honest, I was a little hesitant to see "Antwone Fisher," the directorial debut by Denzel Washington. Movies directed by actors can be little more than self-serving vanity projects that merely say, "Hey! I'm an actor! And I can also direct! I'm so multitalented!" You can say the same thing about this movie, but you would be wrong. While it's a little sentimental at times, "Antwone Fisher" is one of the most heartfelt and genuine movies of 2002. Derek Luke is the title character, a young and hotheaded seaman who gets sent to Jerome Davenport (Washington) for psychiatric evaluation following a heated brawl with another soldier. From there, the two begin a painful journey that involves discovering the roots of Fisher's anger and, more important, the broken family that left him behind. It's often disturbing to see the psychological abuse Fisher suffered at the hands of his elders, and his strong will and tenacity make him all the more respectable. Luke gives a decidedly low-key yet strong performance and holds his own admirably against seasoned pro (and two-time Oscar winner) Washington. But if I have a slight bone to pick with this movie, it's that its plot has a bit of a "heard it before" feel. Several movies ("Good Will Hunting" comes to mind) have already featured a story about a troubled kid whose life gets turned around by an older mentor. Yet, "Antwone Fisher" earns its four stars thanks to its classy, non-flashy direction by Denzel and a solid performance by Luke.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If it were at all possible... January 1, 2005

By Hawksmoor

Format:DVD

...i would give this film ten stars even, more if there were a way. I saw this movie when it first came out on DVD in 2003, and i think i pretty much understood it for what it was, but i still didn't feel it for what it was. Then, i saw it again last night for the first time since 2003, when it very first arrived on DVD. This time, i both understood it for what it was meant to be and felt it the way it was meant to be felt. As a young, black writer trying to make my way along the same path that people like Toni Morrison, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, J. K. Rowling, Antwone Fisher and Ralph Ellison have paved before me, it is always a very interesting thing to see such an honest and heartfelt screenplay make it to the big screen. The actors are superb throughout the entire picture, and they always manage stay in character. Just when you expect the characters to suddenly change due to some happy or sad or traumatic event in their life at the moment, BAM, reality is smashed into your face. This, more than anything else in the film besides the truth to the story, made watching it very worthwhile. Because Life often has no happy ending, and things rarely ever turn so quickly in real life, as they do in hundreds of other films. I don't exactly know how to describe watching this film. I'll just say that it moved me to tears several times throughout with no shame whatsoever. I was a child who was abandoned by his father completely, and i didn't have the best family life, growing up poor in a very small town. I loved this film so much that i got a copy for my best friend recently, as a Christmas gift. I thought that he must see it, if only to give him some view of what it was like growing up me or like me, although i know i didn't have it as badly as Mr. Fisher did. All in all, very great film, great acting, very realistc, very compelling, and most of all, completely honest, even when it hurts. Watching this film, you begin to understand that most personal problems stem from somewhere, most likely childhood, even if you've never seen or thought about this before. We are all truly sponges as children. See this film. You will not regret it. It may even help you to watch it. it helped me, after all. It allowed me to see that there is hope, this second time around.

Hawksmoor...From The Bleed

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This movie helped to see healing in my own life. October 4, 2003

By Jeanette T. Brookes

Format:DVD

All I can say is: Thank you, Antwone, for sharing your life with us, and thank you, Denzel, for bringing this story to the theater. You have made a huge difference in my own life, and I wish I could thank you personally.

As a child, I suffered much of the same abuse (though not so violent) and loneliness that Antwone experienced. It has been a long and difficult journey for me to move towards health. I did not make it as quickly as Antwone did.

What this movie did for me was to help me face again some of my old pain, but also, like Antwone in the movie, to see that I have finally found my own "Welcome Home" family in my two children, my two "in-law" children, their families, and my new grandson.