A Family Thing (1996)

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 ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Pearce

Writers:

Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Epperson

Stars:

Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones, Michael Beach

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Duvall	...	Earl Pilcher Jr.
James Earl Jones	...	Ray Murdock
Michael Beach	...	Virgil
Irma P. Hall	...	Aunt T.
Grace Zabriskie	...	Ruby
Regina Taylor	...	Ann
Mary Jackson	...	Carrie
Paula Marshall	...	Karen
James N. Harrell	...	Earl Pilcher Sr. (as James Harrell)
Lauren Leigh Phillips	...	Kindra
Ashleigh Jordan	...	Danielle
David Keith	...	Sonny
Sandra Quarterman	...	Young Aunt T. (as Saundra Quarterman)
Patrice Pitman Quinn	...	Willa Mae
Don James	...	Junior Turner

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

letter | childbirth | arkansas | matriarch | racism | 

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Taglines:

With family, everything is relative.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, brief violence and a childbirth scene

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 March 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brüder wider Willen

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$10,118,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Butcher's Run Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the storyline has James Earl Jones' character being about 6 years older than Robert Duvall's character, Duvall is actually older than Jones - by 12 days.

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Goofs

When Virgil and Ray are saying goodbye for the first time in front of Ray's house. Virgil is standing behind the car and the car moves before the engine starts. The next frame shows the car still in place then moving forward.

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Quotes

Earl Pilcher, Sr.: I've never seen a damn Yankee yet that could operate more than a wheelbarrow.

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Connections

Features Rocky III (1982)

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Soundtracks

"Gonna Get Faded"
Written by Les Pierce
Produced by Nick Trevisick and Les Pierce
Performed by Les Pierce

User Reviews

Much better than expected and continually held my interest

Robert Duvall's father dies and he finds out that he has a long-lost brother - a black man (played by James Earl Jones). He treks to the big city in order to find his brother (against his wishes, as he's a prejudiced Southener) and soon finds himself stuck under the company of Jones and his rambunctious family.

This story isn't always as realistic as reality but it draws good allusions and parallels - I watched it very late one night expecting to fall asleep and, much to my surprise, I was completely entertained (and even touched) by the film's sweetness. It's an incredibly easy viewing

• it touches on some deep racial issues but is never disturbing. It is

a good family film with some strong morals and a rewarding finale that is a bit too simplistic, perhaps, but nevertheless uplifting and a nice reminder of many values many of us forget.

A worthwhile, extremely underrated experience - highly recommended.

4.5/5