Kattiera Nana I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Celia A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

rreid66 Many African-American families include persons of varied complexions, from the darkest hues to the lightest. These light-complexioned individuals are simply "white" as the world reckons appearances. This very fact makes blacks and whites kin within the last four or five generations. Aunt T gives perhaps the most profound statement in this film: "Nobody ever knows what it's like for somebody else. That's always the problem." The writer Guy Murchie wrote that if there is anyone we disdain, do not shake our family tree because our ancestors both near and far will surprisingly show up with every racial variant imaginable. For some "A Family Thing" speaks an unpalatable truth: blacks and whites are kin and closely related to each other.

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.

makalw I turned on the TV this morning and saw this movie listed in the viewing guide. I love Robert Duvall, so I decided to have a look, even though the info in the guide gave only 2½ stars (out of 5). Well, I think it's pretty sad that it got such a poor rating from ANYBODY! What a great movie. I was glad to see it got better reviews here.I found this movie to be well-written and well-acted. It moved me to tears several times. I live in Oklahoma, and am pretty well-acquainted with folks from neighboring Arkansas. I was really pleased at how well Robert Duvall portrayed the role. From the body language to the speech patterns to the attitude, he had the small-town Arkansas tractor dealer down pat.The interactions were quite accurate, becoming more and more touching as time went on. I highly recommend this film to anybody who wants to see a good treatment of the way racism is still alive and unwell in many parts of America.

Kay-18 This movie stars Robert Duval and James Earl Jones as sons of the same mother. Robert Duval's character is not legally adopted, but he is raised to believe that someone who is not his mother is his mother. This movie seems more interested in exploring racial issues, but not even that overtly. It makes certain that the pain of the mother is avoided as subject matter. It would be nice if all family members separated by adoption were able to accept each other this quickly and painlessly.