A FAMILY THING
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1996 Michael John Legeros
(United Artists)
Directed by Richard Pearce
Written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson
Cast Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones, Michael Beach, Irma P.
Hall
MPAA Rating "PG-13"
Running Time 111 minutes
Reviewed at Six Forks Station Cinemas, Raleigh, NC (31APR96)
==
Though you can't believe a minute of this rousing, racial drama, you can certainly *enjoy* yourself. The plot-- about a good ol' Arkansas boy (Robert Duvall) who discovers, meets, and eventually befriends his black half-brother (James Earl Jones)-- is absurd, sure, but the dialogue crackles and the actors sparkle. Though Duvall is a bit too tightlipped, his foil, James Earl Jones, is fantastic. (I love his range: cowering and commanding all at once. After this and CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY, it's *great* to see Jones emerge from behind all of those voice-overs and assorted supporting roles.) As good as their unexpected chemistry gets, both Jones and Duvall pale before schoolteacher-turned-actress Irma P. Hall. Her scene-stealing performance as their blind-but-still-sees-everything aunt is one of the first Oscar-worthy turns of the year. Directed by Richard Pearce (LEAP OF FAITH).
Grade: B+
--
Mike Legeros - Raleigh, NC
legeros@nando.net (h) - legeros@unx.sas.com (w)
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