Watch Denzel Washington and Viola Davis Struggle to Get By in Powerful First Teaser for Fences

It’s hard to imagine Denzel Washington really needs a third Oscar, but that’s not going to stop him from trying. The veteran actor delivers a stunning monologue in the first teaser for Fences, which Washington himself adapted from a Pulitzer Prize-winning August Wilson play.

The film follows Washington’s Troy, a once-promising baseball player who is now tasked with supporting his family by driving a garbage truck. Viola Davis co-stars as his wife, Rose. Davis is joining Washington in the move to bring the play from stage to screen. Both she and Washington won Tony Awards in 2010 for their work in the stage version of Fences.

The film also stars Jovan Adepo (The Leftovers) as the pair’s son. Set in the 1950s, the film seeks to touch on major issues of the day while remaining a deeply personal story.

Fences is Washington’s third directorial effort, following 2002’s Antwone Fisher and 2007’s The Great Debaters. The film is set to be released on Christmas Day, and will join the crowded field debuting then in the hopes of becoming a major Oscar player.

Check out the first teaser above to see if the film might live up to that promise.