Black or White

Name: Black or White
Genre: Drama
Released: January 30, 2015
Duration: 121 min
Rating: 45
Cast: Anthony Mackie, Gillian Jacobs, Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer

2015

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 30 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Ratings

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7.3

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7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Ratings

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Black Or White

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Movie Details & Credits

Relativity Media | Release Date: January 30, 2015 | PG-13

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Gillian Jacobs, Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer

Summary: When a grandfather (Kevin Costner) is suddenly left to care for his beloved granddaughter, her paternal grandmother (Octavia Spencer) seeks custody with the help of her brother (Anthony Mackie). With the best intentions at heart, both families fight for what they feel is right and are soon forced to confront their true feelings about race,When a grandfather (Kevin Costner) is suddenly left to care for his beloved granddaughter, her paternal grandmother (Octavia Spencer) seeks custody with the help of her brother (Anthony Mackie). With the best intentions at heart, both families fight for what they feel is right and are soon forced to confront their true feelings about race, forgiveness, and understanding. [Relativity Media]… Expand

Director: Mike Binder

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 121 min

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Critic Reviews

Joe Williams

Jan 29, 2015

A textured and unexpectedly entertaining drama about the human toll when racial assumptions crash. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Jan 27, 2015

“Selma” wasn’t the only film about race to get short shrift from Oscar voters this past year. Black or White is a frank, touching and very well-acted melodrama about child custody and cultural perceptions of “blackness” and “the race card,” and could have earned Octavia Spencer and Kevin Costner fresh Oscar nominations. Read full review

Steven Rea

Feb 2, 2015

A boldly sappy melodrama that plays on - and off - racial stereotypes. Read full review

Scott Foundas

Sep 12, 2014

The good news is that Kevin Costner does some of the finest, most deeply felt work of his career as a widower lawyer fighting for custody of his biracial granddaughter in Mike Binder’s Black and White. The bad news is that this well-intentioned family drama never quite shakes free from its didactic, movie-of-the-week dramaturgy and a hand-holding approach to race-relations. Read full review

Stephanie Merry

Jan 29, 2015

The performances are fantastic across the board, with Costner acting in his trademark low-key naturalistic style and Spencer as the picture of no-nonsense maternal love. But their efforts can’t make up for overly simplified characters, not to mention melodramatic exchanges that sound exactly like written dialogue. Read full review

William Goss

Jan 28, 2015

Black or White is a film all about matters of race that hardly matters at all. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

Jan 29, 2015

Talk about tin ears. Black or White comes off as the product of clouded eyes, sour stomachs and addled brains. Read full review

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User Reviews

alexa417

Oct 8, 2015

The actors performances are superb. The film has more depth and clarity.

http://www.watchfree.to/watch-2a14c5-Black-or-White-movie-online-free-putlocker.html

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

K-girl

Feb 1, 2015

This was one of the best performances from Costner ever. It was a sweet and touching story of grief and the need for forgiveness. Grandma WeWe was awesome!!!! I sure wish these stories could be done without disrespecting the name of Jesus.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

LeZee

Oct 14, 2015

Emotional dispute for an innocent young soul.

One of the beautiful melodrama of the year. It is a partial courtroom drama and it was about a biracial kid, whose grandparents fight to own the custody. Obviously a sensitive matter, but incredibly written screenplay that balanced both theEmotional dispute for an innocent young soul.

One of the beautiful melodrama of the year. It is a partial courtroom drama and it was about a biracial kid, whose grandparents fight to own the custody. Obviously a sensitive matter, but incredibly written screenplay that balanced both the ways. Such kind of theme is always welcomed, but in this case, again, those critics behind ruining the movie. Should have been in the Oscar race in any category, but it didn't. The reason is simple, about famous people and histories always have the edge over the fictional works in the film world.

Child custody battle is a most familiar theme, but not a very common. In this, the characters are so special, made a huge difference with an interesting opening plot. At some point I felt scenes were very intensified and old fashioned, but the story and dialogues were not. Lots of emotional scenes involved right from the first frame itself. Especially one of the courtroom scene in the third act which was a turning point in the story was so touching. The families are definitely going to love that particular part.

"Well, there are certain things a man can do,
certain thing a woman can do."

Top notch performances, especially the Kevin Costner, and Octavia Spencer in some crucial parts. Apart from them it has some cheerful humours. A movie that is not pinpointing the mistakes of the past like some of the recent films depicted, but looking forward to the future and unifying by removing fences. As a living creature, the conflict within is not an invalid, even non-living substances do have when they come together in the form of chemical reaction. So as we're civilised, it must be minimised. Happy or sad ending, it does not matter, because it is simply delivering a message about the difference between good and bad.

The kid was the centre of the story formation, but the screenplay did not designed her to dominate. Because her presence was the vital than to display stunning performance, as it was a conflict between two different racial people. But, how the kid gets affected if the confrontation gets ugly as the story progresses is the point to develop ahead. So that brings the climax, and you should watch the movie to know how it all ends. I would say it is a very underrated movie and needs immediate recognition. It will going to be one of those movies to be praised in the future.

8½/10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

lukechristiansc

Jun 22, 2015

The film captures humor, drama and it's sweet and deeply felt from Kevin Coster's performance. Finally the worst month to release films (January) releases an heart felt film. Grade A

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

GreatMartin

Jan 30, 2015

To cry in the first half hour of a film means you are looking ahead to a picture filled with emotion. “Black or White” starts with scene in the hospital where Eliot (Kevin Costner) just lost his wife Carole (Jennifer Ehle) in a car accident. They had been raising their biracialTo cry in the first half hour of a film means you are looking ahead to a picture filled with emotion. “Black or White” starts with scene in the hospital where Eliot (Kevin Costner) just lost his wife Carole (Jennifer Ehle) in a car accident. They had been raising their biracial granddaughter Eloise (Jillian Estell) after the death of their daughter during childbirth and the father Regie (Andre Holland), a drug addict, had taken off. Her paternal grandmother, Rowena, (Octavia Spencer) who had been okay with the arrangement now decided, with the help of her lawyer brother, Jeremiah, (Anthony Mackie) to fight for custody of Eloise.
There is a little heavy handed melodrama here and there but none, pardon the pun, of the characters are black or white. We see the difference between living in Santa Monica’s white enclave and South Central’s Black area in Los Angeles along with the Mexican housekeeper for the lawyer Eliot and the very much extended family of daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces living under the same roof and sustained by Rowena, also known as Grandmother Wee Wee.
The director, who also wrote the screenplay, Mike Binder, based the story on his own family involving a biracial nephew. Though he faces some of the Black versus White problems, including the use of the N word, he skirts around some of the major issues and a blow up near the end seems completely contrived to get to a Hollywood ending. He also errs in writing the character Fay (Gillian Jacobs) completely unnecessary to the film and making Eloise’s math tutor and piano teacher, Duvan (Mpho Koaho) multilingual, speaks only 8 languages, seems to have written published papers on almost all subjects talked about, just a little bit too much though he does supply some humor.
Though there is nothing special regarding his direction of the movie the acting is strong all around with star turns by both Octavia Spencer and Kevin Costner while Jillian Estell, as the 7 year old, is cute at the right times, playful at others and serious enough when she is required to be. The differences between Holland and Mackie as brothers are a little hard to take to accept them as such but individually they are their characters.
An aside regarding critics: I wanted to see this film based strictly on previews but if I had read reviews before I went I would never have gone. Reading the reviews I just shook my head at how many people will miss seeing a good film.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Thegodfatherson

Jan 30, 2015

I liked it. Kevin Costner was really good, Octavia Spencer was damn good, and the emotional story is the best writing I have seen in 2015. Black And White was a good film, it may not be the best drama out there but it sure makes you cry.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Movi3R3vi3wer

Jul 1, 2015

Black or White has good intentions for sure, Kevin Costner gives another winning performance in his recent come back. We do get good supporting work from Anthony Mackie and Mpho Koaho along with some compelling courtroom scenes. However the movie is too sentimental for it's own good, it'sBlack or White has good intentions for sure, Kevin Costner gives another winning performance in his recent come back. We do get good supporting work from Anthony Mackie and Mpho Koaho along with some compelling courtroom scenes. However the movie is too sentimental for it's own good, it's too long and gives the most anticlimactic ending to any movie I've seen so far this year. Finally don't even get me started on Octavia Spencer who gives the most over the top performance of her career, she was kind of awful.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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