Fences (2016) - I'm not Going to Papa's Funeral

A working-class African-American father tries to raise his family in the 1950s, while coming to terms with the events of his life.

[edoo.dribeiro]

I hate how she, in a way, minimizes all the shit Troy put them through

[Niklaus]

Troy should be thankful to even have a funeral. He deserves to be forgotten and lay somewhere were he could not be remembered

[serenagrey]

"He meant to do more good than he meant to do harm" - I absolutely hated and loved this line. I hate how people can justify angry, bitter and abusive people because of intention. Intention to me does not negate the action. The harm he caused to the family will forever be scars on their hearts, regardless of his "intention". Just because you may understand his POV doesn't justify his actions.

[ThePhychoHero]

It’s sad how many comments break down to “my daddy did the same thing, and so will I.” That spells out too many kids with hate-filled fathers who are gonna pour that hate all over them.

[darkgable]

Going to funeral with a grudge doesn't help either

[ovskii]

The last time Cory was home, his father beat him up and disowned him. The fact that one of the first things his mother does after seeing him again *is hitting him* really says a lot about her character. Cory always came second.

[machodgdon]

Corey is a character that truly deserved better. Abused by his father and ultimately gaslighted by his mother to go to the funeral of his abuser. Truly a painful cycle he had to endure

[joyajohnson]

Cory was abused by both sides. For his mother’s denial and distance, to his father’s abuse and diminishing. He deserved better.

[gdangbravo]

My father was severely abused by his dad. Never held a grudge, treated his dad with respect. Treated us, his children, with love and respect. When speaking about my grandfather, my father said “I’m not going to continue and pass on the cycle. The trauma ended when I became a man”. He always said there was no use in holding a grudge, it’s killing yourself with the poison somebody else fed you. Let it go.

[matthewvigilarana]

What i really love about this scene is how the mother states he is not a man, yet not only did he do a tour in vietnam, he was a good marine and got rewarded for his hardwork (the ribbons on his chest represent this: has vietnam campaign ribbon, good conduct ribbon, and a navy achievement medal.) He was a better person than his father, but the trauma his mother faced tried to guilt trip him to visit his father's funeral, a man that never taught him how to be a man, only exemplify how NOT to be a man. As a fellow Marine, my drill instructors were my father figures, and I can see how he has his mentality has changed to a level that his mother cannot understand. He will be the role model for his future family, unlike his father.

[Angel_Salcedo]

The real question is would troy have showed up to his son's funeral...?

[stankobanko]

I think by cory condemning his father and giving him zero veneration as a father is good. providing for your kids is the minimum you are supposed to do and troy acted like he deserved a medal for it. he was abusive to his sons and his wife. Cory has every right to say " i dont think you are even worth saying goodbye to, Im twice the man you were and I never hurt half the people you did."

[joanatapia]

No matter how you were raised, when u become a parent you have a choice to be better for your kids. My mother was a big example of that

[sng]

Cory has the right not to go home a funeral. Troy wasn’t a good person at all let alone a good father.

[thekingswool]

They both failed him. She’s talking bout disrespecting his daddy when all his daddy did was disrespect him his entire life. A child is not beneath a parent. A child deserves respect too. His father never gave him any so why should he?

[AidenLoftin]

This is one of the most depressing movies I've ever seen because it's scary how realistic it is. The abuse that Cory went through and the horrors he faced growing up, that boy deserved so much more than what he got. The belittling that he was experiencing, the intellectual abuse from his father, and being held back at at time when he needed help to go forward, Cory deserved better than what he got.

Agree or disagree?

[Emperor.Penguin.]

"Who in the hell said I got to like you"
Became
"Im not going to his funeral"

The things you say to someone can and will stay with them for a lifetime

[Victor-rbpq]

Honestly, i was brought up in a similar way, and i still resent my mother even more than my father, because she alowed the abuse and his feat tatics to make me "a strong man". Its been 15 years since i've talked to them, and i swear on my daughter, i won"t be on their funerals.

[coreyboggs]

“Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t” then why did he deny him his chance to play football and go to college?

[vennrentus]

She tells Cory that not attending the funeral won't make him a man, then suddenly reminisce on how much of family tyrant Troy has been to them.
She is still afraid of Troy and it's showing. It should be Cory's decision to attend or not.