Black or White (2014)

A grieving widower is drawn into a custody battle over his granddaughter, whom he helped raise her entire life.

Director:

Mike Binder

Writer:

Mike Binder

Stars:

Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer, Gillian Jacobs

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Costner	...	Elliott Anderson
Octavia Spencer	...	Rowena Jeffers
Jillian Estell	...	Eloise Anderson
Bill Burr	...	Rick Reynolds
Mpho Koaho	...	Duvan Araga
Anthony Mackie	...	Jeremiah Jeffers
André Holland	...	Reggie Davis
Gillian Jacobs	...	Fay
Jennifer Ehle	...	Carol Anderson
Paula Newsome	...	Judge Margaret Cummins
Indigo	...	Young Nurse
Bertha Bindewald	...	Rosita
Joe Chrest	...	Dave
Ireyon Johnson	...	Kristen
Janeline Hayes	...	Dondi

Storyline

Black or White is the story of a grandfather (Kevin Costner) who is suddenly left to care for his beloved granddaughter. When her paternal grandmother (Octavia Spencer) seeks custody with the help of her brother (Anthony Mackie), the little girl is torn between two families who love her deeply. With the best intentions at heart, both families fight for what they feel is right and are soon forced to confront their true feelings about race, forgiveness, and understanding. Anchored by an all-star cast and based on real events, the movie is a look at two seemingly different worlds, in which nothing is as simple as black or white.

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Plot Keywords:

granddaughter | custody battle | grandfather | grandparent | three word title | 

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Taglines:

There's more to family than what you see.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 on appeal for brief strong language, thematic material involving drug use and drinking, and for a fight

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 January 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Black or White

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,213,362, 1 February 2015

Gross USA:

$21,571,189

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$21,833,967

Company Credits

Production Co:

BlackWhite, Sunlight Productions, Treehouse Films (II)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the pool party Uncle Victor is seen inside the home watching a football game. The game is actually stock footage of a CFL game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. You can see the Argonaut logo flash on the screen.

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Goofs

On the first day that Elliott takes Eloise to school, when Eloise stands near the school door and signals to Elliott to indicate that he loves her, initially part of the hem of her skirt is folded up. Then in the next shot her skirt hem is back down where it belongs.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Rick Reynolds: Elliot. Hey.
Elliot Anderson: [dialing his phone] David, it's Elliot. I'm not going home, they'll be takng her body to Richter Memorial. I'll come back in the morning, meet them, go with her, see what's the next step. I'll take to you in the morning.
Elliot Anderson: [now to Rick] ... My brother.
Rick Reynolds: She's gone?
Elliot Anderson: [yes]
Rick Reynolds: Well, what did the doctor say?
Elliot Anderson: That they, um... that they did what they could.
Rick Reynolds: Oh, God, Elliot, I'm so sorry.

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Connections

Referenced in Mike & Mike: Episode dated 11 February 2015 (2015)

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Soundtracks

You Put The Flame On It
Written by Thomas Brenneck, Charles Bradley, Homer Steinweiss, David Guy, Leon Michels and Nick Movshon (as Nicholas Movshon)
Performed by Charles Bradley
Courtesy of Lip Sync Music

User Reviews

Costner brings racial conversation to next cultural and social level!

Kevin Costner's "Black or White" is one of those break-through movies who bring the silver screen art to a next level. In his case, the movie brings the cultural and social conversation about race to a level it should have been long time ago. The movie suggests a new paradigm for the topic of race, a level where the social and personal relationships between people no longer include the skin color. The movie portrays with a keen sense the tension and resistance our cultural biases pose to any attempt to remove the racial aspects from the confrontations between people of different skin color. In "Black or White" Kevin Costner breaks the pattern of action hero he has got us used with, displaying acting traits of the highest level. With the camera close-ups on his face most of the time, his eyes add immense value to his acting, displaying real emotions and deep feelings only those who experienced parenting can truly understand and react to. Overall, "Black or White" is a new paradigm of both his personal acting and the cultural and social topic of racial tension.