Good Fences 2003

     This film is based on a novel by Erika Ellis published in 1998.  Tom Spader is an attorney during the 1970’s and he has worked hard in his profession.  He wins a high-profile case and he moves his wife Mable, his son Tommy-Two and his daughter Stormy to a much larger house.  They live in a very good neighborhood in Greenwich, Connecticut.  Mable begins entertaining the neighboring women to get to know them.  Tom and Mable are invited to a lot of parties because of his profession.  Tommy-Two and Stormy are doing well in school.  Tom thinks Ruth Crisp should not have moved onto their street after she wins big money in a lottery.  When she intends to buy another house on the street and keep her current house, Tom becomes slightly unhinged.

     This movie has a different focus, the Spader family is not like their neighbors but they do fit in until Ruth Crisp moves into her home.  Mable doesn’t have much to do at home since she has a housekeeper.  She begins taking pills that make the day go faster.  When Tom asks her to talk to Ruth about buying the second house, Mable cannot face this task.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

119 min, TV movie, Drama directed by Ernest R. Dickerson with Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Zachary Simmons Glover, Mo’Nique, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Ashley Archer, Marie V. Cruz, Vincent McCurdy-Clark.

Note:  Imdb 5.6 out of 10, 54% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 34 reviews.

Special Note:  This movie was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  There is a mistake in this film, Stormy is reading a magazine and the covers show Claudia Schiffer.  She was featured from 1988 on and the scene with the family watching the TV Series Roots would have been 1977.