In the Family

Name: In the Family
Genre: Drama
Released: April 22, 2012
Duration: 169 min
Rating: 82

2012

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 9 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Ratings

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6.6

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6.6	Your Score
6.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Ratings

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In The Family

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Movie Details & Credits

In the Family Productions | Release Date: April 22, 2012 | Not Rated

Summary: In the town of Martin, Tennessee, Chip Hines, a precocious six year old, has only known life with his two dads, Cody and Joey. And a good life it is. When Cody dies suddenly in a car accident, Joey and Chip struggle to find their footing again. Just as they begin to, Cody’s will reveals that he named his sister as Chip’s guardian. The yearsIn the town of Martin, Tennessee, Chip Hines, a precocious six year old, has only known life with his two dads, Cody and Joey. And a good life it is. When Cody dies suddenly in a car accident, Joey and Chip struggle to find their footing again. Just as they begin to, Cody’s will reveals that he named his sister as Chip’s guardian. The years of Joey’s acceptance into the family unravel as Chip is taken away from him. In his now solitary home life, Joey searches for a solution. The law is not on his side, but friends are. Armed with their comfort and inspired by memories of Cody, Joey finds a path to peace with the family and closer to his son. (In the Family Production)… Expand

Director: Patrick Wang

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 169 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Keith Uhlich

Nov 13, 2012

Wang has made a confidently intimate movie that is devastatingly larger-than-life. Read full review

100

Rob Humanick

Nov 28, 2011

An acutely felt, altogether devastating family drama as intimate and affecting as it is sprawling and untamed. Read full review

100

Roger Ebert

Apr 18, 2012

What a courageous first feature this is, a film that sidesteps shopworn stereotypes and tells a quiet, firm, deeply humanist story about doing the right thing. It is a film that avoids any message or statement and simply shows us, with infinite sympathy, how the life of a completely original character can help us lead our own. Read full review

Paul Brunick

Nov 4, 2011

Mr. Wang's slow-reveal psychological drama isn't just a showcase for his excellent ensemble cast. Beautifully modulated and stylistically sui generis, In the Family is also one of the most accomplished and undersold directorial debuts this year. Read full review

Robert Abele

May 3, 2012

Deliberate and marked by uncommon grace, In The Family manages to feel politically and culturally acute without ever resorting to melodrama, or having to wave banners for issues or causes, except perhaps in its quiet way for a renewed humanism in movies and a return to stories about everyday lives. Read full review

Andrew Schenker

Nov 1, 2011

With an incisive understanding of character, believably naturalistic acting, and lengthy scenes that don't feel stretched out so much as given room to breathe, In the Family proves that smart direction and an innate feeling for one's material trumps potentially precious subject matter. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

Dec 6, 2012

It is probably unlike any movie you've ever seen, and in ways both bad and good. It is, by turns, inept and brilliant, shockingly amateurish and inspired. To see it is to sit there for long stretches amazed at how clumsy, fake and misguided it is. But then, five minutes later you might easily be riveted and moved by its awkward brilliance. Read full review

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User Reviews

Etslee

Sep 25, 2012

This film is certainly not for everyone, at almost 3 hours length, with minimal soundtrack and mostly static shots. But I sat riveted until the end, as did most of the audience in the theater.

The plot sounds melodramatic: a gay Asian man fights for the custody of the son he shared withThis film is certainly not for everyone, at almost 3 hours length, with minimal soundtrack and mostly static shots. But I sat riveted until the end, as did most of the audience in the theater.

The plot sounds melodramatic: a gay Asian man fights for the custody of the son he shared with his deceased lover. But writer/director Patrick Wang, who seems clearly influenced by the understated Yasujiro Ozu and Ang Lee, avoids the easy moral conflicts. Instead, he focuses on the daily lives of mostly average and good hearted people. There are no stereotype villains here. Instead of a Hollywood court battle, we have an almost documentary like deposition meeting that still manages to be dramatic and emotionally true.

The cast is uniformly terrific, especially young Sebastian Banes as Chip and Brian Murray as the lawyer. Certain quietly powerful scenes still stay with me, like the kitchen scene post-funeral and Chip replaying the audiotape of his father's voice calling his name. Patrick Wang will be a talent to follow!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Sultrylady

Jul 18, 2018

The acting was a bit mediocre giving the viewer the impression of being an amateur movie. There wasn't much of a character story to know each person and no buildup of the story, so the scenes just jumped into each other. I did although love the storyline, it just could have been done better.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TheDavo

Jun 17, 2012

Endlessly long and muddled. Could have been dramatically shorter with better writing and editing. Completely improbable plot changes and ending. I wanted to get up repeatedly and walk out but the theatre was quite full and that would have distracted other movie patrons. DO NOT SEE thisEndlessly long and muddled. Could have been dramatically shorter with better writing and editing. Completely improbable plot changes and ending. I wanted to get up repeatedly and walk out but the theatre was quite full and that would have distracted other movie patrons. DO NOT SEE this movie based on the reviews shown here. This is NOT a very good movie.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ipatrick69

May 9, 2012

I could only handle sitting through half the movie so if there is some spectacular ending that I missed I am sorry. There was little to no emotion and I felt nothing for the characters. All the rave reviews were strictly because of the subject matter.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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