Have One to Sell? Sell Now a Family Thing (Dvd 1996)
Not quite the film I thought information technology would be...and that'south okay.
When the story begins, Earl (Robert Duvall) is at his mother'south bedside as she is dying. Surprisingly, after she passes, he is given a letter of the alphabet from his dead mother...telling him that she was NOT his female parent. It seems his father had an matter with a blackness adult female...and the black adult female was his biological mother!! This comes as a existent surprise....especially since Earl isn't the virtually enlightened of men! In add-on, the letter of the alphabet asks Earl to find his brother who is living in Chicago...so Earl hops in his pickup truck in Arkansas and heads to the Windy City.
When this film debuted many years ago, I really idea information technology was some sort of one-act. I was surprised that information technology wasn't...and was more well-nigh racism...that of Earl AND his newly discovered half-brother (James Earl Jones). All in all, a very compelling script with some lovely performances, especially by Aunt T (Irma P. Hall). Well worth seeing.
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Acceptance & forgiveness - if only it was this easy
A Family Thing is a drama well-nigh a Southen man (Duvall) who's mother reveals on her deathbed that he was not her child. Rather he was the result of a forced run into between his begetter and the blackness help. In order to keep a hope Duvall sets off to find his half-blood brother (Earl-Jones).
Although the story seems to be about race - it'south chief theme is one of forgiveness and acceptance of others, with race beingness one of the barriers to suspension down.
All the characters accept their ain barriers to overcome - Duvall has to face the fact that he is not white, Earl-Jones has to deal with his hatred of past events and Michael Beach has to come to terms with missing out on pro-football and the breakup of his marriage. Simply the sagely aunt T. (Irma P. Hall) has the power to accept everyone for whom they are - partly due to being blind "and not being able to judge folks on what they look like".
It'southward not an earth shattering slice of story telling and at times doesn't seem to have a consistent flow to it just information technology held my attention throughout and was actually quite rewarding.
It's all a bit tidy (in real life, nothing gets sorted this piece of cake), merely it definately makes you lot think.
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Nobody e'er knows what it's like for somebody else. That'southward always the problem.
I similar Robert Duvall. He has made some great films over the years - A Civil Activeness, The Apostle, Tender Mercies, The Great Santini, Apocalypse Now and the Godfather, to name a few. Even his small films are smashing, like Assassination Tango.
This film, co-written by Baton Bob Thornton, is a gem that shines in a ocean of excellence. The discovery that his real female parent was blackness, was a shock to Earl Pilcher Jr. (Duvall), and he heads off from Arkansas to Chicago to find his brother Ray, played past James Earl Jones, another groovy actor known by about people as Darth Vader.
Ray already knows everything and is non broken-hearted to revive erstwhile memories. The interaction between the 2 is mesmerizing and funny. It is what movies are all well-nigh.
Irma P. Hall (The Ladykillers, A Lesson Before Dying) is captivating as Aunt T. and has some of the best lines in the picture show. It is worth your fourth dimension just to see her.
What a memorable feel!
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Lid's Off
Whatsoever film about racial matters is spring to be difficult to tackle past anyone with scruples and integrity. For those who can deftly deal with the issue and make a quality movie: my hat's off to them. "A Family Thing" is a quality pic.
Earl Pilcher, Jr. (Robert Duvall), an old white Arkansan finds out that his real mother was not the old white woman who raised him and who just passed abroad, merely a Black woman his father had an illicit relationship with. This news rocked his genteel Southern earth. He grew upwardly a proud white Southern human being who referred to Blacks as N-words. Now he has to confront the fact that A.) his father was a philanderer and B.) he was half Black. He now wanted to detect his real brother, Ray Murdock (James Earl Jones), thereby fulfilling his adopted female parent's wish and satisfying his own marvel
It wasn't a felicitous reunion between the two of them. There was some serious bitterness: Earl because he had to face the fact he wasn't white (or at to the lowest degree all white) and Ray considering he saw Earl's father as the cause of his mother's death.
This was a well written and finely acted drama. Billy Bob Thornton's first screenplay, "One False Move," was a good debut. "A Family Thing" is even meliorate.
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Much better than expected and continually held my interest
Robert Duvall'due south father dies and he finds out that he has a long-lost brother - a blackness human (played past James Earl Jones). He treks to the large city in order to notice his brother (against his wishes, as he's a prejudiced Southener) and soon finds himself stuck nether the company of Jones and his rambunctious family unit.
This story isn't always equally realistic equally reality but information technology draws good allusions and parallels - I watched information technology very late 1 dark expecting to fall asleep and, much to my surprise, I was completely entertained (and even touched) by the film's sweetness. It's an incredibly easy viewing - it touches on some deep racial problems but is never disturbing. It is a good family film with some potent morals and a rewarding finale that is a bit too simplistic, mayhap, merely nevertheless uplifting and a nice reminder of many values many of u.s.a. forget.
A worthwhile, extremely underrated experience - highly recommended.
four.v/v
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Primogenitor
Alert: Spoilers
"Ignorance of how we are shaped racially is the first sign of privilege." - Tim Wise
Directed by Richard Pearce, and written by Billy Bob Thornton, "A Family unit Thing" stars Robert Duvall as Earl Pilcher. A racist Irish-American Southerner, Earl learns that his biological mother was in fact a Blackness-American maid named Willa Mae. Willa Mae was raped by Earl'due south white begetter.
When he learns that he has a black blood brother - played past the mighty James Earl Jones - Earl embarks upon a quest. He travels north, and spends several days in his brother's visitor. Along the way, Earl finds himself wrestling with problems of race, forgiveness, white privilege and acceptance. Though marred by some stereotyping, the film'south marginally meliorate than most mainstream films which attempts to delve into 20th century racism. Irma P. Hall is fantabulous equally Earl's loving aunt.
7.5/10 – Worth one viewing.
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A thoughtful look at America'due south racial carve up
While some may think a white kid with a black parent is a rare occurrence, a recent story revealed that the mother of half dozen of Thomas Jefferson's children was a black slave by the proper name of Sally Hemming. Richard Pearce's A Family Thing is a modern mean solar day fictional example of such racial mixing. The film is a comedy but has serious overtones in its thoughtful look at America'southward racial split. When sixty-year-old Earl Pilcher's elderly mother Carrie dies, she leaves him a letter that the local pastor (Nathan Lee Lewis) delivers to him after her death. The Arkansas equipment rental director is shocked to read in the alphabetic character that his existent mother was Willa Mae (Patrice Pittman Quinn), an African-American who was impregnated by his begetter (James N. Harrell).
"Nobody knew," the letter says, "because you came upwardly white. Willie Mae died having you. I was correct at that place." Needless to say, this piece of data does not sit well with Earl who was raised by the Pilchers and never questioned his heritage. To compound Earl'due south confusion and disbelief, he likewise finds out that he has an African-American brother, Ray Murdoch (James Earl Jones), who lives in Chicago. When Mrs. Pilcher implores Earl to find his brother, Piclher of a sudden takes off to Chicago in his onetime pickup truck without telling his family the reason for his difference. In Chicago, he discovers that his brother Ray is a cop who works in the office of Chicago'south mayor, that he knows all about him, and is not happy about seeing his brother over again, blaming him for his female parent's decease.
Finding himself in a dangerous function of town, Earl is held up, mugged, and has his truck stolen. After getting out of the infirmary and needing a place to stay, he is reluctantly put upwards by his brother who lives in a flat with his son Virgil (Michael Beach) and his elderly, blind Aunt T (Irma P. Hall) who brought him upwardly. Even though Ray tries to convince her that Pilcher is an old Army friend, the wise sometime woman isn't buying. "Stop BS-ing me," she says "Earl Pilcher -- I know all almost your sorry half-blackness a -- ." In one case they get over the shock of recognition, the plot unfolds in a predictable merely highly entertaining manner as the brothers find they have more than in mutual than they idea.
Earl gets drunk and winds up sleeping under a bridge. Virgil reveals that he had a serious leg injury that curtailed a promising football career and listens to some upbeat suggestions from his uncle. There is also a wonderful scene with Earl and his blind aunt shopping at a supermarket where she has memorized the inventory, and a moving flashback to Earl'southward birth. Though both Duvall and Jones are accomplished veteran actors, Hall steals the show and makes the film special. Old Aunt T. sums up the film's message when she says, "I don't have the blessing of being able to separate people out past looking at them no more." That kind of colorblindness is a blessing more than people ought to have.
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Great little movie
I dearest this movie very much. I wish more people saw it, and too that Irma P. Hall got a nomination, because she was fantastic and memorable. I idea everyone else in the cast was great, as well, but Hall steals the movie from her more than-famous co-stars.
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A route less traveled
Robert Duvall plays an aging Southerner who discovers he has a half-brother -- and worse, their mother was black! He journeys to Chicago to meet his half-blood brother (James Earl Jones), who is equally shaken as he to find their connection. The blind Aunt T. (Irma Hall), who lives with Jones, helps the two men sort out their differences. A familiar TV face up, Michael Embankment, plays Jones' grown son, who is dealing with personal issues and not exactly charmed to have a white man -- worse, a bona fide cracker -- in the family. Duvall walks away with this 1. He is amazing. At one point, after having been carjacked and beaten and wandering off from Jones in anger and hurt feelings, he finds himself in a bar where he drunkenly invites himself to join a tabular array of folks celebrating one of the ladies' birthdays. They're black, and his redneck, incorrect mode of talking to them becomes painful to hear. He is that convincing. The terminal shot of the flick, which is admittedly precious, has Aunt T. walking away from the camera, headed for the marketplace. Veteran movie and Television managing director Richard Pearce made this from a script cowritten past Baton Bob Thornton. A must-see.
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Improbable, because....
Alarm: Spoilers
I would like to give this movie a higher rating, but at that place is something that detracts from information technology's quality. Duvall is a brilliant actor, but perchance the whitest guy in Hollywood. His complex is stake, and he doesn't have any curls to his hair. Now, it is hard to believe that Nicole Ritchie is one-half-black, only you can see she has a darker complexion. Therefore, it is impossible to believe that Duvall's graphic symbol is one-half-black.
If Duvall's character grew upwards in this very white small boondocks, people probably would have suspected he had American Indian, Italian, or Hispanic blood. Duvall's character may have been enlightened that he was not totally Scotch-Irish. If he were in the Bayou, perhaps it wouldn't be as big a deal. But in farm country of the South, highly unlikely that he wouldn't exist enlightened of something.
I didn't like the fact that Duvall's graphic symbol goes to the large city and all of a sudden he is being considered half-blackness. Information technology would exist more than of an adjustment than the movie portrays. In improver, his nephew probably would take resented him giving advice to him. Why wouldn't James Earl Jones' grapheme be the one to requite him advice.
The film was interesting, simply this point severally detracts from information technology'southward brownie. I have a amend thought. Why not make Duvall's graphic symbol 100% white, and have the Father having an extramarital affair that produced Jones' grapheme. Jones' is definitely low-cal to medium brown complexion. He could exist a conceivable mulatto.
The Father could exist the ane dying. On his deathbed he can confess that he had an extramarital matter, and that there was a one-half-brother to Duvall'southward grapheme. The Father could get out out the fact that his brother is half-black. And so Duvall'south character shows up, and is completely shocked.
This would have been a ameliorate idea. Duvall could have been conflicted, considering he was so white, just now he had to take that his brother was half-black. In improver, Jones' family would deal with their own fears and reluctance in accepting Duvall'due south character. This would have been a more than meaningful scenario. Information technology would take forced both races to take that they have a father in common.
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Family is relative
This is a motion picture that reminds one of the proverb: "Just when I thought I knew the answers, they changed the questions." A Caucasian man discovers late in life that his mother was actually Black, instead of the White woman who raised him. The history of slavery in the US, and the American version of apartheid in the southward that followed the Civil War until the Ceremonious Rights Act of 1964 and given the ofttimes "strained" relations that exist today; the subject matter is of import and challenging. The outcome is that "A Family Matter" is a little precious stone. It speaks of discrimination, fear, the fashion things were and the fashion things are. Some White Americans will not exist comfy with this flick. This will be due to the bigoted nature of Mr. Duvall's character, metaphoric of White hatred towards Blacks. Then, his world crumbles when he discovers when all is non what information technology seems. Kudos to the producers(of whom Mr. Duvall was ane) and the cast for a superb lesson in confronting hate, and how ane special Aunt can heal wounds generations old.
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Very relevant
Warning: Spoilers
I have a family unit like this. Black people come in all shades depending on which gene is prominent. My family goes from blue black to blue eyed blond. Lucky for us we all have one another!
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What a bully movie.
I saw this motion picture dorsum when it first came to video. I didn't know anything about it, but I put it in anyway and sat back with an open up mind. What followed for the next two hours was a fascinating story of a bigoted, Mississipi tractor salesman who finds out that he is one-half blackness. While this might not audio like a big bargain, let me explain a bit. I grew upwards down in the delta, near the location that this movie was filmed. Information technology is a big deal down in that location. Unfortunately, the majority isn't quite every bit colour-blind as they are in other parts of the united states and bigotry is nevertheless a pretty mutual thing. I'grand distressing to say that there is still a trivial bit of a bulwark there, and if more than people were to come across this motion picture, and so I'm sure things would exist a piddling bit different.
Yous see, Robert Duvall plays a beau (non the most open-minded of sorts) named Earl. In the opening, we go to see the events that make up a typical day for Earl (coffee drinking, shooting the cakewalk, and selling tractors). Nosotros also learn that Earl'due south Mom isn't in the all-time health as she passes abroad ten minutes into the film. She too leaves a note behind telling Earl that she isn't his real mother. His existent female parent was black and Earl is the result of an matter that costs his claret mother her life. Since Earl came out looking white, he was raised up like nix e'er happened.
I can see it equally a shock. I, Earl appears to be in his mid-fifties. (that's quite a large shock to a guy in the prime of his life) two, he discovers that not simply is he a b**tard child to a female parent he never knew, he as well has an older half-brother. Later all of this, Earl needs to accept a road-trip to become himself together and peradventure meet the blood brother he never knew. What follows adjacent is a journey (both physical and spiritual) that will show ol'Earl a thing or two well-nigh life and beloved.
Written by Tom Epperson and none other than Ol' Billy Bob Thornton himself, "A Family unit Affair" is one of the best feel skillful movies I have ever seen. I highly reccommend it. Information technology'due south pretty rare that a motion-picture show comes forth that is practiced enough to change one's life. This oughta be required viewing for high-schoolhouse students. What a picture show. ten/x
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Wonderful Picture!
What a pleasant surprise this was. I caught this one day on Starting time and really didn't give it much of a chance. But I was so wrong!! Powerful performance by Irma P. Hall (as Aunt T.), and Robert Duvall is at his best as well. Wonderfully acted and written, this has to be the best movie I take seen in a long while. Certain, the same old southern stereotypes are portrayed likewise equally the aforementioned for the inner-metropolis black civilisation, with many being quite accurate. Some parts were a trivial over the top, similar the birthday party in the bar that Earl crashes equally a total stranger. But that being said, not a lot of negatives I can say about this picture show.
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You lot but take to want to exist saved.
You know the Oscar'southward are warped when movies like this aren't even nominated for an honour. This is a really bang-up motion picture, extremely well acted, perfectly bandage, and wonderfully directed. An unusual story that volition bring you to tears and reshape your heart. What a blessing to discover and enjoy! Cheers for making it. seven.4/10.
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What a gem!
Information technology's pretty telling that people are withal contributing reviews of this film fourteen years after its release. It's hard to imagine anyone seeing it (or re-seeing it, as in my case) and not having a powerful emotional response. Information technology's only that skillful.
The acting is spectacular - not just the 2 leads, who are both equally good equally yous'd expect them to be, but as well the supporting cast. Irma Hall, as Aunt T is joy to behold. She'll nevertheless be in your thoughts days afterwards. There's really non a throwaway scene hither. Everything rings truthful and serves the plot. The settings are real-looking, the dialog is natural...information technology'southward just a fine piece of movie making. Kudos to Billy Bob Thornton and those involved in getting this from the drawing board to the screen.
I'yard guessing that kids won't like this every bit much as adults. Nothing blows up real skillful and at that place may be likewise much "wisdom" in the story. That'due south unfortunate considering the moral center of this moving-picture show is just where you lot'd want information technology to be, unless you're a die-difficult retro racist. Just forget morality. A Family unit THING is just a hell of a fine piece of movie-making. Every bit they used to say, "You'll laugh. You'll cry." They're both true. And you'll have a fine time in the process.
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"Family Matter" is a Touching Affair
Alarm: Spoilers
The plot for "A Family Thing" sounds unlikely when you commencement hear well-nigh information technology. An Arkansas man gets a annotation from his deceased Mother that she is not his existent Mother, that he is really the product of a sexual run into betwixt his Father and the family'due south black maid. The letter of the alphabet urges him to travel to Chicago to discover his half-brother, who is a blackness man. Sounds like a scenario Hollywood would dream up for a wide comedy ("I'm white, you're black, only we're brothers?" Cue wacky music) or a liberal social slice on how we all should "only become along".
"A Family Thing" takes neither road. Instead it examines the realistic reactions the characters would have in such a situation. It services the racial chemical element without getting preachy, and it finds comedy in unlikely places, but mostly it deals with the topic in a frank, straightforward mode.
Robert Duval plays the bewildered Earl Pilcher, a hard-working equipment rental store owner and self- described "redneck", who all of a sudden finds the very foundation of his life shaken past his Mother's startling postal service-mortum revelation. His Father'southward silence on the matter confirms the story, so Earl hops in his truck and drives to Chicago. He locates his half-brother, Ray, a good-natured Chicago cop nearing retirement, played past James Earl Jones. Ray is polite just cynical about the whole matter, with some deep rooted hatred for Earl's Father that he manages to keep from spilling over to much on to Earl. They office ways, simply Earl is car-jacked and ends up in a hospital with a concussion, and the just thing they find on him is Ray's phone number. Thus the stage is set for an unorthodox family reunion.
Duval and Jones hit all the right notes equally the perplexed brothers discovering each other, despite their distaste for their shared history. Duval's flawed but decent Earl is reminiscent of his performance in "Tender Mercies", subtle and understated. Jone's Ray is a kind-hearted man who has nursed the wounds from a hard life and come out better for the experiences. In a touching scene, beautifully under-played past both actors, the two men talk about their experiences in the Korean War while preparing to bed down for the nighttime. They are 2 unlikely brothers sharing a room, and sharing their lives.
Michael Beach plays Ray's aroused son, Virgil, a divorced bus driver who lost his take chances at able-bodied stardom to a knee injury. But the nearly fascinating performance is delivered by Irma P Hall as Ray'due south (and Earl's) Aunt T. Aunt T is a cranky just soulful quondam adult female who happens to be blind, but she sees things the other characters tin can't, and teaches them all a affair or two about the meaning of family unit. A scene where she recounts the night of Earl's nascence is the emotional highlight of the film.
Don't expect any fireworks or explosions. "A Family unit Thing" is mostly a quiet, graphic symbol-driven story. Do expect to be touched by the simple drama of human being lives, relayed by a talented director (Richard Pierce) two insightful writers (Baton Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson) and some very skilled actors.
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If in that location is ane Robert Duvall performance you lot simply tin't miss, this is information technology.
Everything virtually this movie touched my center. Robert Duvall has to be the best actor who's ever tread the face of this world. The style he 'sinks into' his graphic symbol in this particular film is most uncanny. The completely fresh and unexpected perspective from which the story is written took my breath away. I confess when I starting time saw this film I had no idea who Baton Bob Thorton(one of the co-writers) was - I only knew that this was one of the best movies I'd ever seen. Never at whatever time during this film do you go that feeling of 'I've seen this somewhere before' - and in this day and historic period that'south almost unheard of. How come you oasis't seen it yet?? Believe me it's worth the hunt.
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Irma P. Hall is superb
Irma P. Hall should take won the Oscar for this performance. I tin't believe she wasn't fifty-fifty nominated. Duvall and Jones were also wonderful. An actor's treat!
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Poignant, intimate motion-picture show
Robert Duvall is great as the Southern man who is in for a surprise when his daddy dies. James Earl Jones matches him ever footstep of the way in magnificent interaction. Only Irma P. Hall as the mother, really steals the film. If you lot oasis't seen this, hire it. If it doesn't brand yous weep and laugh, you have no emotions.
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Would take been cracking!
Tried to picket a wholesome film with family. This one ruined by frequent, unnecessary blasphemous!!
HATE when PG/PG13 movies are ruined by spoken communication and/or content.
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A great moving-picture show !
It is non every solar day that i comes across such an enjoyable motion-picture show, just the premise on which information technology is based can well take been an every 24-hour interval occurrence.
It took the brilliant work of its makers, and not just a little bit of talent and creativity to make such a not bad motion picture out of an ordinary story.
The dialogue is so natural and real that it takes you in that location. 1 of the memorable highlights of this moving picture is the conversation the two brothers have earlier going to bed in the same room for the first time always, during which their bonding procedure begins.
So much has been said virtually the leading members of the bandage that at that place is not much to add. For me, I noticed Robert Duvall the offset fourth dimension as the mob lawyer in the "Godfather, and information technology was years later when I saw over again "To Kill a Mockingbird" that I recognized him in the modest chip he had there. I heard the magnificent voice of James Earl Jones as that of Darth Vader in "Star Wars", and later on I saw his interim abilities. Who tin forget Reginal Taylor as Lilly in the TV Series "I'll Wing Away", and Michael Beach is doing now an splendid job in the currently shown "Third Lookout" every bit the paramedic "Doc" Parker.
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Soft on the bug.
This movie stars Robert Duval and James Earl Jones as sons of the same female parent. Robert Duval's character is not legally adopted, but he is raised to believe that someone who is non his female parent is his mother. This movie seems more interested in exploring racial issues, but not fifty-fifty that overtly. It makes sure that the hurting of the mother is avoided as subject affair. It would be overnice if all family unit members separated by adoption were able to have each other this quickly and painlessly.
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The futility of racism
A moving portrayal of the problems of racism - from both sides. The central characters a portrayed with incredible depth. Aunt T (Irma P. Hall) sums upward the futility of racism - the films cardinal theme - with the line "being bullheaded does not give me the opportunity to judge a person past their color" (paraphrased). That being said, the film gets it's message across without preaching. An excellent film.
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Refreshing
Another delightful collaboration of Robert Duvall and Billy Bob Thornton. How refreshing it is to be treated to non-Hollywood type characters that the viewer can identify with. Jones and Duvall are excellent, simply similar another reviewer says, the show stealer is Irma P. Hall.
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