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 mat... (Full plot summary below)
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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.
Leave your thoughts about A Family Thing.
| San Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserThe film's premise is totally implausible yet great performances, directing and script allow us to transcend the concept of believability and enjoy nevertheless. |
| Chicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumIn one sense, this seemingly melodramatic plot premise is contrived, registering more as myth than as real possibility. Yet thanks to what the movie has in mind and especially what the actors bring to it, it's a lovely myth, one that has the ring of deeply felt truth. |
| Atlantic City WeeklyLori HoffmanUnderrated family drama; Duvall and Jones are terrific |
| Washington PostRita KempleyThe potential for hokum is there, but Duvall and co-star James Earl Jones capably avoid the sticky pitfalls of Tom Epperson and Billy Bob Thornton's sugar-cured script. |
| San Francisco ChroniclePeter StackIt's impossible to dismiss the attraction of such accomplished actors on the big screen, even with a fits-and-starts script. |
| Internet ReviewsSteve RhodesA poignant and beautifully life affirming film. |
| USA TodaySusan WloszczynaIt's likely to be overrated by some and underrated by others, and both contingents will be wrong. One can't, however, overrate the performances, with auntie ruling the roost in more ways than one. |
| ReelViewsJames BerardinelliDespite its good intentions, A Family Thing could easily have been a mediocre drama, but the excellent performances elevate the film considerably. |
| The New York TimesStephen HoldenIn A Family Thing, an earnest upbeat fable about the meaning of brotherhood in America, first-rate film acting infuses a contrived story with enough flesh, blood, wrinkles, warts and beads of sweat to make it intermittently surge to life. |
| Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe situations are more or less standard (fights over sleeping arrangements, emergencies that have to be solved, moments of truth and confession), but the dialogue and the acting bring the material up to another level. |
