A Family Thing

"With family, everything is relative."

Mar 29 1996 PG-13 1h 49m
Comedy, Drama

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.

Plot

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.

Written by

Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Epperson

Directed by

Richard Pearce

Cast

Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones, Michael Beach

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

United Artists

Languages

English

Awards

3 wins & 2 nominations

Trailers
A Family Thing Trailer 1996
Scores
# of Votes
4,844
Average Rating
7.1 out of 10
Metascore
71
Popularity
NA