Starting with In the Family’s discreetly told story of a family trauma, Wang’s films, seen together, showcase a civically minded vision that demands attention
Fittingly for self-distributed works by a true American independent, Patrick Wang’s four features to date stand tall with a graceful and tenacious outsiderdom. Their handmade quality and occasional rough edges may have made them a hard sell, but this seems unfair. There’s a collectivist spirit, moral conviction and self-taught experimentalism at work here – the latter given increasing room to express itself as Wang has gradually untethered himself from realism – that demands attention.
Especially impressive is Wang’s 2011 debut In the Family (****) – starring Wang himself as Joey Williams, a Texan interior designer whose partner Cody (Trevor St John) is killed in a car accident. Cody’s will, written long before their relationship, states that his sister Eileen (Kelly McAndrew) should act as guardian...
Fittingly for self-distributed works by a true American independent, Patrick Wang’s four features to date stand tall with a graceful and tenacious outsiderdom. Their handmade quality and occasional rough edges may have made them a hard sell, but this seems unfair. There’s a collectivist spirit, moral conviction and self-taught experimentalism at work here – the latter given increasing room to express itself as Wang has gradually untethered himself from realism – that demands attention.
Especially impressive is Wang’s 2011 debut In the Family (****) – starring Wang himself as Joey Williams, a Texan interior designer whose partner Cody (Trevor St John) is killed in a car accident. Cody’s will, written long before their relationship, states that his sister Eileen (Kelly McAndrew) should act as guardian...
- 2/14/2022
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Not long after an initially unheralded premiere in 2011, the Independent Spirit Award nominated debut from Patrick Wang, In the Family, suddenly started getting much deserved attention, which resulted in a wider theatrical release in spring of 2012. The critical response has been nearly unanimous, and Wang stands as one of the most exciting new authorial voices in American indie cinema, not to mention his film’s ability to place an Lgbt themed subject matter into a wider cinematic realm than the niche its ilk is usually relegated, has been an equally regal and transcendent.
Chip (Sebastian Banes), wakes up one morning and bounces into his parents’ bedroom, waking up his dads, Joey (Patrick Wang), and Cody (Trevor St. John). We watch their breakfast ritual, as the three warmly and familiarly converse, all of them going about their respective days, Cody being a teacher and Joey a contractor. They have family friends,...
Chip (Sebastian Banes), wakes up one morning and bounces into his parents’ bedroom, waking up his dads, Joey (Patrick Wang), and Cody (Trevor St. John). We watch their breakfast ritual, as the three warmly and familiarly converse, all of them going about their respective days, Cody being a teacher and Joey a contractor. They have family friends,...
- 6/25/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
A generally pleasant, positive, and polite human being, first-time filmmaker Patrick Wang began to lose a bit of his optimism after completing “In The Family.” A sincere and epic three hour drama with most scenes covered in a single take, the director had few supporters and no festivals willing to screen the film. But eventually one programmer took a chance with it and word of mouth spread. Before he knew it, ‘Family’ was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, boosting its stature quite a bit, and demand increased. Festivals remained a tad elusive (likely due to its running time), so instead of the usual route on the circuit, Wang has been self-distributing the movie to various theaters across the country, finding fans in the least likely of places. Set in Tennessee, ‘Family’ charts the life of dual fathers Joey (Wang) and Cody (Trevor St. John) and their upbringing of the...
- 11/17/2012
- by Christopher Bell
- The Playlist
Ties That Bind: Wang’s Debut a Cinematic Knockout
Every so often, unpredictably, a film comes out of nowhere, with no pomp or circumstance, heralding a brilliant new cinematic talent. Quietly debuting at the tail end of 2011, Patrick Wang’s In the Family, received a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award, which set off a slow but steady trickle of theatrical releases for this quiet gem across the country. Skillfully avoiding stereotypes, clichés, and any manner of manipulative techniques in order to generate emotional discourse, Wang has created what sounds like a hot topic potboiler on paper and made a film that’s as hopefully humanistic as it is melancholically realistic.
Chip (Sebastian Banes), wakes up one morning and bounces into his parents’ bedroom, waking up his dads, Joey (Patrick Wang), and Cody (Trevor St. John). We watch their breakfast ritual, as the three warmly and familiarly converse, all...
Every so often, unpredictably, a film comes out of nowhere, with no pomp or circumstance, heralding a brilliant new cinematic talent. Quietly debuting at the tail end of 2011, Patrick Wang’s In the Family, received a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award, which set off a slow but steady trickle of theatrical releases for this quiet gem across the country. Skillfully avoiding stereotypes, clichés, and any manner of manipulative techniques in order to generate emotional discourse, Wang has created what sounds like a hot topic potboiler on paper and made a film that’s as hopefully humanistic as it is melancholically realistic.
Chip (Sebastian Banes), wakes up one morning and bounces into his parents’ bedroom, waking up his dads, Joey (Patrick Wang), and Cody (Trevor St. John). We watch their breakfast ritual, as the three warmly and familiarly converse, all...
- 11/15/2012
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Brace yourselves. This list of the Top 100 Greatest Gay Movies is probably going to generate some howls of protest thanks to a rather major upset in the rankings. Frankly, one that surprised the hell out of us here at AfterElton.
But before we get to that, an introduction. A few weeks ago we asked AfterElton readers to submit up to ten of their favorite films by write-in vote. We conducted a similar poll several years ago, but a lot has happened culturally since then, and a number of worthy movies of gay interest have been released. We wanted to see how your list of favorites had changed.
We also wanted to expand our list to 100 from the top 50 we had done previously. We figured there were finally enough quality gay films to justify the expansion. And we wanted to break out gay documentaries onto their own list (You'll find the...
But before we get to that, an introduction. A few weeks ago we asked AfterElton readers to submit up to ten of their favorite films by write-in vote. We conducted a similar poll several years ago, but a lot has happened culturally since then, and a number of worthy movies of gay interest have been released. We wanted to see how your list of favorites had changed.
We also wanted to expand our list to 100 from the top 50 we had done previously. We figured there were finally enough quality gay films to justify the expansion. And we wanted to break out gay documentaries onto their own list (You'll find the...
- 9/11/2012
- by AfterElton.com Staff
- The Backlot
Director: Patrick Wang Starring: Patrick Wang, Sebastian Brodziak, Trevor St. John, Lisa Altomare, Susan Kellermann, Brian Murray Cody's (Trevor St. John) wife died while giving birth to their son, Chip. Soon thereafter, Cody fell in love with Joey (Patrick Wang); for the next five years or so, they raised Chip (Sebastian Banes) together. ("What is it they say? Chip has two daddies.") From all accounts, they are a very happy family. But then, tragedy strikes. Chip is six-years-old when Cody dies in a car accident. Joey continues to live in Cody's home and raise Chip, that is until Cody's Last Will and Testament is found in a safe deposit box. Cody's Will -- which predates when he met Joey -- names his sister Eileen (Kelly McAndrew) as the executor of his estate and parental guardian for Chip.
- 7/14/2012
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Over the years here at AfterElton and beyond, I’ve written about a lot of gay films. Whether or not it has shown in my reviews, much of that writing has been steeped in frustration because many films we're solicited to review in the "gay" genre quite simply aren't very good.
There have always been clear standouts, of course, but far more frequently I find myself watching mediocre or downright bad films: derivative, sassy comedies lit like commercials for dishwashing detergent; clumsy coming-out indies dripping with empathy but devoid of any artistry; sappy soft-core porn poorly disguised as romance.
Is the ratio of bad-to-watchable gay films really any worse than that of the broader cinematic universe? I think it probably is. So I have to admit that when a new gay film comes across my desk, I tend to receive it not with excitement, but with a sigh.
I begin...
There have always been clear standouts, of course, but far more frequently I find myself watching mediocre or downright bad films: derivative, sassy comedies lit like commercials for dishwashing detergent; clumsy coming-out indies dripping with empathy but devoid of any artistry; sappy soft-core porn poorly disguised as romance.
Is the ratio of bad-to-watchable gay films really any worse than that of the broader cinematic universe? I think it probably is. So I have to admit that when a new gay film comes across my desk, I tend to receive it not with excitement, but with a sigh.
I begin...
- 6/22/2012
- by brian
- The Backlot
(In The Family opens at the Quad Cinema on Friday, November 4, 2011, after recently screening at the Hawaii International Film Festival and winning two richly deserved awards at the San Diego Asian Film Festival. Visit the film’s official website to learn more.
*Full disclosure: I am not a film critic. I saw the film at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, where my film Surrogate Valentine was also in competition. I did not, however, have a chance to meet Patrick Wang.)
Every once in a while, a movie comes out of nowhere and hits you like a ton of bricks. First-time director Patrick Wang’s In the Family was like that for me. I sat down to watch the film knowing nothing about it besides the fact that it was an American indie, it was three hours long, and it was being exhibited in 35mm. At the very least,...
*Full disclosure: I am not a film critic. I saw the film at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, where my film Surrogate Valentine was also in competition. I did not, however, have a chance to meet Patrick Wang.)
Every once in a while, a movie comes out of nowhere and hits you like a ton of bricks. First-time director Patrick Wang’s In the Family was like that for me. I sat down to watch the film knowing nothing about it besides the fact that it was an American indie, it was three hours long, and it was being exhibited in 35mm. At the very least,...
- 11/1/2011
- by Dave Boyle
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
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