We all remember the movie, Antwone Fisher, starring Denzel Washington and Derek Luke as Antwone. It was about a little boy who grew up in the foster care program, alone, angry, and abused by his foster parents. The movie was a story about forgiveness and the relentless pursuit of survival. But what the movies only hints at, what we all missed, is how Antwone Fisher discovered his gift.
Mark Twain said, “The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” For Antwone Fisher, the pain of growing up alone and abused pushed him to find solace in a place he knew could protect his spirit, his mind, and his peace.
“I discovered a long time ago that I had a love of sketching and writing,” Fisher said, “It made me happy, kept me calm, and allowed me to escape to other places using my imagination.” Fisher’s writing became the “why” for his being born.
For Fisher to have discovered this at such a young age explains his incredible ability to not be scarred by his horrific upbringing.
“I remember when Carl Stokes became mayor, he was so powerful. He came to my elementary school (Oliver Wendall Homes Elementary School). I saw him walk past a group of people and it made me realize that I could be something myself,” Fisher remembered. “The mayor came to the park and he was throwing out basketballs to the kids. I didn’t know much at my age, but it was quite a sight to see a Black man with that much power.”
Fisher did not just have to battle his foster mother to stay alive, he also had to deal with internal struggles. Born with dyslexia, Fisher struggled to read and maintain good grades due to his inability to see and read.
“I am dyslexic. It is hard for me to read. I have a little anxiety as well. I remember when I was a kid I was embarrassed to read in front of the class. I learned how to do it in small bunches. Sometimes my computer will read what I write back to me,” Fisher said.
Once Fisher became old enough, he joined the Navy where he could hide his problems and find the space to grow up and nourish his love for writing. One would think getting away from the city where he experienced so much pain would be good. Most people die within a 25-mile radius of where they were born. They struggle to escape their past and it ends up predicting their future. But Fisher channeled his past into his first movie script.
Success did not come quickly for Fisher. He wrote the screen play, Antwone Fisher, in 1993. The film didn’t get made until 2003. It took 10 long years and hundreds of rewrites for Fisher to perfect the script and movie we all enjoy today. The patience and desire to stick with the plan is why Fisher has been able to thrive in so many difficult situations.
The difference between most people and Fisher is the fact that he learned to dream early. That dream was cultivated through writing, which helped him mentally escape his problems and explore at better outcome. His love for writing helped Fisher create Antwone Fisher, the film that won scores of awards and made Fisher a household name.
“I think everyone should write their own story whether it gets made into a movie or not. I play the base guitar and it is a blessing for me. I water paint. Those things make me happy and relaxed,” Fisher explained.
Today Fisher has enjoyed twenty-six years with an impressive fifteen film writing projects, script doctoring, or script consultant assignments with the major studios and working as a writer, producer, and filmmaker himself.
In his spare time Fisher does public speaking and continues to write every day to continue to keep his imagination sharp and thriving.
“Today is an incredibly special time for writers. With so many streaming services looking for original content, writers are finding amazing outlets to get their projects done,” Fisher said.
There are so many things people can learn from Fisher. One of the more significant lessons is that their circumstances don’t have to define who they are or who they will become. They can escape to a better place and find what makes them happy. Fisher believes there is a story to tell in everyone and that they should write out their experiences on paper to rid themselves of feeling guilty.
Fisher has done an amazing job of becoming the man he never had in his life. If anyone is looking for the sequel to Antwone Fisher the movie, all they need do is get a pen and paper or sit down at a computer and type out their own story. According to Fisher, we all can have the kind of Hollywood ending we envision for ourselves. ֍
