A FAMILY THING
A film review by Ben Hoffman
Copyright 1996 Ben Hoffman
It has been only two days since the Oscars were awarded and already I am certain that the film I saw last night, A FAMILY THING, is going to be one of those nominated for the 1996 Oscar's Best Picture, Best Actors and Best Supporting Actress. This is a film with an original story , written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson. This one will get to you.
Earl Pitcher, Jr. (Robert Duvall) who is in his sixties, lives in a little town in Arkansas. Very soon after the film opens, his aged mother dies. Several days later he is given an envelope by a trusted friend of the family who had been instructed by the dying woman to give the envelope to Earl when she died. Upon opening the envelope, Earl is in for the shock of his life. He discovers that the woman he thought was his mother and who had raised him was not his mother at all. Some sixty years ago, his father had "slept" with a young, pretty, black woman and she became pregnant. When the child was born, it was white. Earl's father's wife decided she would raise the child.
The letter speaks about a half-brother, gives his name , Ray Murdock (James Earl Jones) but is vague as to his whereabouts somewhere in Chicago. Earl confronts his father, Earl Sr.. (James Harrell) and the guilty look is evidence that the story is true. Earl sets out for Chicago to try to find the truth of what happened, who his blood family really is. Before the film ends he learns a lot about "life" and about blacks and mostly about himself.
The film's direction is perfect with pathos and hilarity vying with each other every moment. Beautiful support is given by Ray's Auntie (Irma P Hall), a blind, old lady who does not give an inch as she raises her nephew and his son, Virgil (Michael Beach) to be decent human beings. No attempt is made to soften the "bad" sections of the black area. Everything about the film rings true. You will be talking about it long after you have left the theater. Excellent.
Directed by Richard Pierce
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Ben Hoffman
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