A Family Thing
| A Family Thing | |
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| Directed by | Richard Pearce |
| Produced by | Michael Hausman Robert Duvall Brad Wilson |
| Written by |
Billy Bob Thornton Tom Epperson |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Charles Gross |
| Cinematography | Fred Murphy |
| Edited by | Mark Warner |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
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Running time
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109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
A Family Thing is a 1996 film starring Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones and Irma P. Hall. It was written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson and directed by Richard Pearce.
The film is a drama about a Scotch-Irish American Southerner (Duvall) named Earl Pilcher, whose late mother makes a shocking revelation in a letter that is given to him after her death. She reveals that Earl's biological mother was a Black American maid named Willa Mae, who was raped by Earl's (white) father and that she died while giving birth to Earl. His adoptive mother's dying wish is that he go to Chicago to meet his half-brother, Raymond Murdoch (Jones).
Earl initially takes the unexpected news of his mixed parentage badly, tearfully challenging his father to confirm the facts in the letter. As a result, Earl packs up his clothes and takes off for Chicago to find his brother.
He meets Ray at city hall (where Ray works as a police officer) and Ray, although he really wants nothing to do with Earl, agrees to meet him for lunch at a diner. Ray blames Earl's father for his own mother's death and does not want to speak to Earl, whose very presence reminds Ray of the past.
During lunch, Ray reveals that he knew all along that he had a half white brother and that he hates Earl's father (and Earl too by association) because he feels that he is what killed his mother. He says in so many words that he doesn't want or need a brother, and they go their separate ways. But when Earl leaves and drives off in his truck he encounters four black Chicago street toughs who rear end his truck. When Earl gets out to survey the (minimal) damage, he, being a trusting Southern "good ol' boy", leaves his keys in the ignition. The toughs beat him up and steal his truck and his wallet. He walks around in a daze and ends up in a hospital. The hospital staff finds Ray's information in Earl's pocket and calls Ray. He comes reluctantly, and the doctor tells him that Earl may have a concussion and needs to take it easy for a couple of days; no traveling is allowed. She also tells him that the hospital is full, so he will have to take Earl home to recuperate.
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