ShangLuda Admirable film.

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

hdavis-29 It's pretty telling that people are still contributing reviews of this film 14 years after its release. It's hard to imagine anyone seeing it (or re-seeing it, as in my case) and not having a powerful emotional response. It's just that good.The acting is spectacular - not just the two leads, who are both as good as you'd expect them to be, but also the supporting cast. Irma Hall, as Aunt T is joy to behold. She'll still be in your thoughts days later. There's really not a throwaway scene here. Everything rings true and serves the plot. The settings are real-looking, the dialog is natural...it's just a fine piece of movie making. Kudos to Billy Bob Thornton and those involved in getting this from the drawing board to the screen.I'm guessing that kids won't like this as much as adults. Nothing blows up real good and there may be too much "wisdom" in the story. That's unfortunate because the moral center of this film is just where you'd want it to be, unless you're a die-hard retro racist. But forget morality. A FAMILY THING is just a hell of a fine piece of movie-making. As they used to say, "You'll laugh. You'll cry." They're both true. And you'll have a fine time in the process.

ProfessorFate The plot for "A Family Thing" sounds unlikely when you first hear about it. An Arkansas man gets a note from his deceased Mother that she is not his real Mother, that he is actually the product of a sexual encounter between his Father and the family's black maid. The letter urges him to travel to Chicago to find his half-brother, who is a black man. Sounds like a scenario Hollywood would dream up for a broad comedy ("I'm white, you're black, but we're brothers?" Cue wacky music) or a liberal social piece on how we all should "just get along"."A Family Thing" takes neither road. Instead it examines the realistic reactions the characters would have in such a situation. It services the racial element without getting preachy, and it finds comedy in unlikely places, but mostly it deals with the topic in a frank, straightforward manner.Robert Duval plays the bewildered Earl Pilcher, a hard-working equipment rental store owner and self- described "redneck", who suddenly finds the very foundation of his life shaken by his Mother's startling post-mortum revelation. His Father's silence on the matter confirms the story, so Earl hops in his truck and drives to Chicago. He locates his half-brother, Ray, a good-natured Chicago cop nearing retirement, played by James Earl Jones. Ray is polite but cynical about the whole matter, with some deep rooted hatred for Earl's Father that he manages to keep from spilling over to much on to Earl. They part ways, but Earl is car-jacked and ends up in a hospital with a concussion, and the only thing they find on him is Ray's phone number. Thus the stage is set for an unorthodox family reunion.Duval and Jones hit all the right notes as the perplexed brothers discovering each other, despite their distaste for their shared history. Duval's flawed but decent Earl is reminiscent of his performance in "Tender Mercies", subtle and understated. Jone's Ray is a kind-hearted man who has nursed the wounds from a hard life and come out better for the experiences. In a touching scene, beautifully under-played by both actors, the two men talk about their experiences in the Korean War while preparing to bed down for the night. They are two unlikely brothers sharing a room, and sharing their lives.Michael Beach plays Ray's angry son, Virgil, a divorced bus driver who lost his chance at athletic stardom to a knee injury. But the most fascinating performance is delivered by Irma P Hall as Ray's (and Earl's) Aunt T. Aunt T is a cranky but soulful old woman who happens to be blind, but she sees things the other characters can't, and teaches them all a thing or two about the meaning of family. A scene where she recounts the night of Earl's birth is the emotional highlight of the film.Don't expect any fireworks or explosions. "A Family Thing" is mostly a quiet, character-driven story. Do expect to be touched by the simple drama of human lives, relayed by a talented director (Richard Pierce) two insightful writers (Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson) and some very skilled actors.

thejoebloggs A moving portrayal of the problems of racism - from both sides. The central characters a portrayed with incredible depth. Aunt T (Irma P. Hall) sums up the futility of racism - the films central theme - with the line "being blind does not give me the opportunity to judge a person by their color" (paraphrased). That being said, the film gets it's message across without preaching. An excellent film.

Poeme What a great film! Robert and James Earl Jones were terrific. You believe everything in this film. The characters draw you right to them and you don't want the film to end.