Viola has a soul-stirring performance, but I got tired of Denzel's act.

That is almost exactly how I felt. I LOVE Denzel but I wanted him to just stop... I understand that the character calls for a lot of verbage but it was too much. It is still a very powerful movie and Viola was wonderful. I was very intrigued by this movie's promise as I had watched an episode from Grey's Anatomy in which there is almost total silence; "The Sound of Silence." I wanted it to hit me like that episode did. It hit me, but I'm still processing just how.

I was quickly tired of him being him and her taking it. The only reason I'd not want this to win awards is so they'd be less chance of making more like it, at least as many.

The previews made me believe this film would be different than it was. I expected a man cheated out of a baseball career would do something, possible illegal, for money or just believing he was owed. Instead there was a lair, cheat, and criminal who talked too much and abused his family. He had a right to be bitter but not to try to make those around him pay for it. His wife allowed herself to be a doormat and her son to be mistreated. Denzel's character was just a horrible person.

Icing On The Cake:
I think that the movie shows how life was back then. Not comfortable to believe, and I understand why you feel the way you do.
Going to the movies is supposed to be a pleasant experience.

Those were EXACTLY my thoughts OP. He way over did it, and it seemed like I was watching the televised play. In fact about 20 min in, I found him to be quite annoying. I would give the movie about a 6.5/10, mostly for Viola Davis' performance.

When I watched it, I didn't even know that it was a play at first, but about 20 or so minutes in, I thought to myself that the movie easily could have been a play. And the fact that Denzel did this so, so many times in theater (as I later learned) came across; he sounded very scripted and his lines didn't come out naturally.