A Family Thing

In this family drama, a white Southerner discovers that his family history isn't what he thought it was -- with the fact that he's half-black only one of his many surprises. Earl Pilcher, Jr. (Robert Duvall) runs a gas station in Arkansas; he's a typical middle-aged Southern man who likes his pickup ...more

Director Richard Pearce and the writing team of Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson bring their respective skills with stories of rural (and specifically Southern) folk to this underrated comedy drama. Wisely, the writers and director stay focused on character development and never stray too far into the situation comedy realm in which the film's central ideas seem to have been hatched, so the material stays a cut above its high-concept roots. This puts the onus of the film's success on its ...more