A FAMILY THING
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.5 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
United States, 1996 U.S. Release Date: 3/29/96 (wide) Running Length: 1:49 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Violence, profanity, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones, Michael Beach, Irma P. Hall, David Keith, Grace Zabriskie, Regina Taylor Director: Richard Pearce Producers: Robert Duvall, Todd Black, and Randa Haines Screenplay: Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson Cinematography: Fred Murphy Music: Jerry Goldsmith U.S. Distributor: United Artists
Richard Pearce's A FAMILY THING is a pleasant, if not especially groundbreaking, motion picture that takes the "buddy movie" concept a step forward by introducing themes of race relations and kinship. The film has more to say than might be initially obvious from the seemingly- straightforward script, which was written by ONE FALSE MOVE scribes Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson. All the topics presented on an intimate level are equally applicable to society as a whole, which has become more sensitive to issues of skin color than those of basic humanity.
If you thought Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito made strange brothers, how about Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones? A FAMILY THING's premise is that Duvall's character, Earl Pilcher, has been raised as the son of white parents, even though his real mother was black. After the death of the woman he called "Mom", Earl learns about his true heritage, and heads north to Chicago to meet his half-brother, Raymond (Jones). However, Ray is less than pleased to see Earl, because he associates his white sibling with tragedy. His mother died giving birth to Earl, and Ray has nursed this bitterness for more than sixty years.
For Earl, the challenge is putting aside the bigotry bred into him by his rural Arkansas environment. Learning the truth about his mother forces him to abandon his black-and-white perceptions. As A FAMILY THING chronicles one man's gradual acceptance of himself, it reminds us that skin color is an artificial, not a natural, barrier. After meeting Ray, Earl realizes that intolerance is the product of ignorance, and, when it comes down to it, he and his black brother aren't fundamentally very different.
One character central to bringing Earl and Ray together is their blind aunt, played brilliantly by scene-stealing Irma P. Hall. In Aunt T's words, she doesn't "have the blessing of being able to separate people by looking at them." So what if Earl's skin is lighter than Ray's -- that doesn't change their shared parentage. She recognizes that the rift between the brothers is carved out of pride and stubbornness, and decides that it's her job to bridge it. To that end, she forces Ray to stop blaming Earl for his mother's death while encouraging Earl to embrace his heritage. Gradually for both men, stereotyping gives way to understanding, and understanding to brotherhood.
Most of A FAMILY THING is devoted to Earl and Ray's struggles to reach common ground. The usual "mismatched buddy" film conventions are present: initial resentment and dislike that leads to a physical confrontation, followed by bonding and grudging admiration that grows into genuine affection. With actors of Duvall and Jones' caliber, however, such formulas attain a higher-than-ordinary level. Despite its good intentions, A FAMILY THING could easily have been a mediocre drama, but the excellent performances elevate the film considerably.
Several scenes are over-the-top, and the character of Ray's son, Virgil (Michael Beach), is woefully underdeveloped (the result of editing choices), but, overall, this film is an agreeable exploration of what it means to be part of a family. Much like THE BIRDCAGE, although without that film's comic excesses, A FAMILY THING isn't just about accepting one's circumstances, but embracing them. The actors, playing characters it's easy to sympathize with, bring the story alive. Because Duvall and Jones establish a successful rapport, A FAMILY THING has an unexpectedly strong emotional resonance, and that's a key reason why viewers are likely to leave this movie satisfied.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net web: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin (or) http://www2.cybernex.net/~berardin
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