X
- 1996
- PG-13
- MGM/UA Distribution Company
- 1 h 49 m
- 1996
- PG-13
- MGM/UA Distribution Company
- 1 h 49 m
Summary Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones portray long-lost brothers in this compelling and poignant family drama about a white Southerner whose identity is shaken after he learns that his natural mother was black. (MGM)
Directed By: Richard Pearce
Written By: Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Epperson
- 1996
- PG-13
- MGM/UA Distribution Company
- 1 h 49 m
- 1996
- PG-13
- MGM/UA Distribution Company
- 1 h 49 m
A Family Thing
71
7.8
Where to Watch
Summary Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones portray long-lost brothers in this compelling and poignant family drama about a white Southerner whose identity is shaken after he learns that his natural mother was black. (MGM)
Directed By: Richard Pearce
Written By: Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Epperson
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
71
82% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
18% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
71
82% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
18% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The film's premise is totally implausible yet great performances, directing and script allow us to transcend the concept of believability and enjoy nevertheless.
Although the movie loses power in its final sections, the performances, writing and Richard Pearce's direction transform this shaky idea into something rewarding.
The story is thin, but the film has rich emotions and a highly constructive moral sense, showing how racial divisions crumble once people recognize their artificiality.
The situations are more or less standard (fights over sleeping arrangements, emergencies that have to be solved, moments of truth and confession), but the dialogue and the acting bring the material up to another level.
Neither flashy nor dishonest, a wizard with restraint, Pearce has a gift for discovering the excitement in honest human behavior, and working from an acute script by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, he's able to dramatize the story's essence without forcing the issue.
Its assets are considerable: affecting performances (especially Irma P. Hall as blind Aunt T.) and sharp writing.
The handful of powerful speeches here do little, however, to offset story weaknesses that also include soft-edged characterizations, a faintly patronizing air regarding the black characters and a general avoidance of the issue most viewers will want to see addressed.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 11 User Ratings
7.8
82% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
18% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 11 User Ratings
7.8
82% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
18% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Production Company
United Artists,
Butcher's Run Films
Release Date Mar 29, 1996
Duration 1 h 49 m
Rating PG-13
Tagline United Artists Pictures invites you on a journey... you will not soon forget.
Awards
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
American Cinema Foundation, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
