A Family Thing

A Family Thing

1996 · 109 min · EN · PG-13 · 6.3 (53 votes)
Dir. Richard Pearce · Starring Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones, Michael Beach, Irma P. Hall, Grace Zabriskie, Regina Taylor · Music Charles Gross

With family, everything is relative.

ComedyDrama

Earl Pilcher Jr., runs an equipment rental outfit in Arkansas, lives with his wife and kids and parents, and rarely takes off his gimme cap. His mother dies, leaving a letter explaining he's not her natural son, but the son of a Black woman who died in childbirth; plus, he has a half brother Ray, in Chicago, she wants him to visit. Earl makes the trip, initially receiving a cold welcome from Ray and Ray's son, Virgil. His birth mother's sister, Aunt T., an aged and blind matriarch, takes Earl in tow and insists that the family open up to him.

VIBE

A gentle, character-driven dramedy exploring the complexities of family and identity. It feels like a warm, honest conversation, unfolding with a steady pace and a deeply human touch.

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