A Family Thing

A Family Thing

With family, everything is relative.

PG-13 1996 · 109 min · ★ 6.6 · 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.

Directed by Richard Pearce · Written by Billy Bob Thornton

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Rent or Buy

Apple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At HomeAmazon Video

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 26m together

A Family Thing

The Long Walk Home

Both from Richard Pearce.

More from Richard PearceSee all →

Hallmark Hall of FameHallmark Hall of Fame · 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
★ 8.81951
SeriesDrama
Long-running anthology program sponsored by Hallmark Cards. Beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2019, the series received 80 Emmy Awards, 24 Christopher Awards, 11 Peabody Awards, 9 Golden Globes, and 4 Humanitas Prizes. Early seasons were a weekly live drama, eventually transitioning to videotaped and then filmed productions broadcast as occasional specials.
Homicide: Life on the StreetHomicide: Life on the Street · 1993
Homicide: Life on the Street
★ 8.11993
SeriesMysteryDrama
An American police procedural chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit.
Law & Order: Trial by JuryLaw & Order: Trial by Jury · 2005
Law & Order: Trial by Jury
★ 8.12005
SeriesDrama
The inner workings of the judicial system, beginning with the arraignment, and continuing through the prosecutors' complicated process of building a case, investigating leads and preparing witnesses for trial.
No Other LoveNo Other Love · 1979
No Other Love
★ 8.01979
MovieDramaTV Movie
A young marginally intellectually-disabled girl and boy meet, plan to marry, and convince the world that they are entitled to a life of their own -- despite attempts by the girl's parents to separate them.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Rust Never SleepsNeil Young & Crazy Horse: Rust Never Sleeps · 1979
Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Rust Never Sleeps
★ 7.81979
MovieMusicDocumentary
Concert film covering Neil Young's October 22 1978 concert performance at the Cow Palace with nearly 20 songs (including two versions of "Hey Hey, My My," his nod to the punk movement), acoustic and electric (with long-time companions Crazy Horse), dating back to his Buffalo Springfield days ("I Am a Child") and continuing through popular solo numbers like "Cinnamon Girl" and the extended "Like a Hurricane."
CSI: MiamiCSI: Miami · 2002
CSI: Miami
★ 7.72002
SeriesDramaMystery
The show follows Crime Scene Investigators working for the Miami-Dade Police Department as they use physical evidence, similar to their Las Vegas counterparts, to solve grisly murders. The series mixes deduction, gritty subject matter, and character-driven drama in the same vein as the original series in the CSI franchise, except that the Miami CSIs are cops first, scientists second.
The Long Walk HomeThe Long Walk Home · 1990
The Long Walk Home
★ 7.71990
MovieDramaHistory
Two women, black and white, in 1955 Montgomery Alabama, must decide what they are going to do in response to the famous bus boycott led by Martin Luther King.
WoodstockWoodstock · 1970
Woodstock
★ 7.61970
MovieDocumentaryMusic
An intimate look at the Woodstock Music & Art Festival held in Bethel, NY in 1969, from preparation through cleanup, with historic access to insiders, blistering concert footage, and portraits of the concertgoers; negative and positive aspects are shown, from drug use by performers to naked fans sliding in the mud, from the collapse of the fences by the unexpected hordes to the surreal arrival of National Guard helicopters with food and medical assistance for the impromptu city of 500,000.
Hearts and MindsHearts and Minds · 1974
Hearts and Minds
★ 7.61974
MovieDocumentaryWar
Many times during his presidency, Lyndon B. Johnson said that ultimate victory in the Vietnam War depended upon the U.S. military winning the "hearts and minds" of the Vietnamese people. Filmmaker Peter Davis uses Johnson's phrase in an ironic context in this anti-war documentary, filmed and released while the Vietnam War was still under way, juxtaposing interviews with military figures like U.S. Army Chief of Staff William C. Westmoreland with shocking scenes of violence and brutality.
MarjoeMarjoe · 1972
Marjoe
★ 7.61972
MovieDocumentary
Part documentary, part expose, this film follows one-time child evangelist Marjoe Gortner on the "church tent" Revivalist circuit, commenting on the showmanship of Evangelism and "the religion business", prior to the start of "televangelism". Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2005.
MediumMedium · 2005
Medium
★ 7.52005
SeriesCrimeDrama
Allison Dubois works in the District Attorney’s office using her natural intuition about people and her ability to communicate with the dead to help to solve crimes. Her dreams often give her clues to the whereabouts of missing people.
The BluesThe Blues · 2003
The Blues
★ 7.52003
SeriesDocumentary
The Blues (2003) is a seven-part documentary series produced by Martin Scorsese that explores the history and influence of blues music. Each episode, directed by a different filmmaker, traces a unique aspect of the genre’s evolution—from its African roots to its global impact. Originally airing on PBS, the series includes Scorsese’s Feel Like Going Home, Wim Wenders’ The Soul of a Man, Richard Pearce’s The Road to Memphis, Charles Burnett’s Warming by the Devil’s Fire, Marc Levin’s Godfathers and Sons, Mike Figgis’ Red, White and Blues, and Clint Eastwood’s Piano Blues.
Food, Inc.Food, Inc. · 2008
Food, Inc.
★ 7.42008
MovieDocumentary
Documentary filmmaker Robert Kenner examines how mammoth corporations have taken over all aspects of the food chain in the United States, from the farms where our food is grown to the chain restaurants and supermarkets where it's sold. Narrated by author and activist Eric Schlosser, the film features interviews with average Americans about their dietary habits, commentary from food experts like Michael Pollan and unsettling footage shot inside large-scale animal processing plants.
PlainsongPlainsong · 2004
Plainsong
★ 7.22004
MovieDramaTV Movie
Tom Guthrie, a high school history teacher, is faced with raising two young sons after his wife leaves him. Maggie Jones, a fellow teacher, tries to provide comfort and support.
The New Alfred Hitchcock PresentsThe New Alfred Hitchcock Presents · 1985
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
★ 7.21985
SeriesDramaMystery
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1985 to 1986, and on the USA Network from 1987 to 1989. The series is an updated re-imagining of the classic 1955 series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Thicker Than BloodThicker Than Blood · 1998
Thicker Than Blood
★ 7.11998
MovieDramaTV Movie
Griffin Byrne is the idealistic new history, English and maths teacher in Father Frank Larkin's school in a mainly Latino ghetto neighborhood where most kids, even many of its graduates, end up in crime and poverty. He takes a particular interest in one of the boys nobody believes will ever come to anything, Lee Cortes, who he finds to be a prodigy in cartoon drawing but who never spoke a word at school, and always wears a Walkman, essentially because of his home situation: his elder brother Tyro, a drug dealer, abuses him and his mother, so he often stays home to mind the smallest siblings. Griffin tries everything to help Lee, despite everyones cynicism, even takes him in his bachelor flat, but finds the whole family situation must be solved, which is probably beyond his power, yet tries tireless, even if he gets nothing but abuse and the results seem to do more hurting then helping...

More Like This

Billy ElliotBilly Elliot · 2000
Billy Elliot
★ 7.62000
MovieDramaComedy
County Durham, England, 1984. The miners' strike has started and the police have started coming up from Bethnal Green, starting a class war with the lower classes suffering. Caught in the middle of the conflict is 11-year old Billy Elliot, who, after leaving his boxing club for the day, stumbles upon a ballet class and finds out that he's naturally talented. He practices with his teacher Mrs. Wilkinson for an upcoming audition in Newcastle-upon Tyne for the royal Ballet school in London.
Ask the DustAsk the Dust · 2006
Ask the Dust
★ 5.52006
MovieRomanceDrama
Mexican beauty Camilla hopes to rise above her station by marrying a wealthy American. That is complicated by meeting Arturo Bandini, a first-generation Italian hoping to land a writing career and a blue-eyed blonde on his arm.
This Man Must DieThis Man Must Die · 1969
This Man Must Die
★ 7.31969
MovieThrillerDrama
When his young son is killed in a hit and run accident, Charles Thenier resolves to hunt down and murder the killer. By chance, Thenier makes the acquaintance of an actress, Helène Lanson, who was in the car at the time of the accident. He then meets Helène’s brother-in-law, Paul Decourt, a truly horrible individual.
Becoming JaneBecoming Jane · 2007
Becoming Jane
★ 7.32007
MovieRomanceDrama
Though young Jane Austen's financially strapped parents expect her to marry the nephew of wealthy Lady Gresham, Jane herself knows that such a union will destroy her creativity and sense of self-worth. Instead, she becomes involved with Tom Lefroy, a charming but penniless apprentice lawyer who gives her the knowledge of the heart she needs for her future career as a novelist.
Immortal BelovedImmortal Beloved · 1994
Immortal Beloved
★ 7.11994
MovieDramaMusic
A chronicle of the life of infamous classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven and his painful struggle with hearing loss. Following Beethoven's death in 1827, his assistant, Schindler, searches for an elusive woman referred to in the composer's love letters as "immortal beloved." As Schindler solves the mystery, a series of flashbacks reveal Beethoven's transformation from passionate young man to troubled musical genius.
The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz · 1925
The Wizard of Oz
★ 5.51925
MovieComedyFamily
A farm girl learns she is a princess and is swept away by a tornado to the land of Oz.
Love LetterLove Letter · 1995
Love Letter
★ 7.81995
MovieDramaRomance
Hiroko attends the memorial service of her fiancé, Itsuki Fujii, who died in a mountain-climbing incident. Although Itsuki's mother says that their old house is gone, Hiroko records the address listed under his name in his yearbook and sends him a letter. Surprisingly, she receives a reply, and discovers it came from his old classmate, a girl who also happens to be called Itsuki Fujii.
A Face in the CrowdA Face in the Crowd · 1957
A Face in the Crowd
★ 7.61957
MovieDrama
The rise of a raucous hayseed named Lonesome Rhodes from itinerant Ozark guitar picker to local media rabble-rouser to TV superstar and political king-maker. Marcia Jeffries is the innocent Sarah Lawrence girl who discovers the great man in a back-country jail and is the first to fall under his spell.
One False MoveOne False Move · 1992
One False Move
★ 6.61992
MovieCrimeDrama
Following a series of drug deals and murders, three criminals -- Fantasia, Ray Malcolm and Pluto -- travel from Los Angeles to Houston, finally arriving in a small Arkansas town to go into hiding. Two detectives from the LAPD, who are already on the case, contact the town's sheriff, Dale Dixon, to alert him of the fugitives' presence in the area. Underestimating Dixon, the criminals have no idea what they are about to face.
Letters to GodLetters to God · 2010
Letters to God
★ 6.82010
MovieDramaFamily
A young boy fighting cancer writes letters to God, touching lives in his neighborhood and inspiring hope among everyone he comes in contact. An unsuspecting substitute postman, with a troubled life of his own, becomes entangled in the boy's journey and his family by reading the letters. They inspire him to seek a better life for himself and his own son he's lost through his alcohol addiction.
Follow That BirdFollow That Bird · 1985
Follow That Bird
★ 6.51985
MovieFamilyComedy
Big Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker, who thinks it would be better for him to live with other birds. Unhappy, Big Bird runs away from his foster home, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.
Mary and MaxMary and Max · 2009
Mary and Max
★ 7.92009
MovieAnimationComedy
A tale of friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a forty-four-year old, severely obese man living in New York.
Letters to JulietLetters to Juliet · 2010
Letters to Juliet
★ 7.02010
MovieComedyDrama
An American girl on vacation in Italy finds an unanswered "letter to Juliet" -- one of thousands of missives left at the fictional lover's Verona courtyard, which are typically answered by the "secretaries of Juliet" -- and she goes on a quest to find the lovers referenced in the letter.
Witness for the ProsecutionWitness for the Prosecution · 1957
Witness for the Prosecution
★ 8.21957
MovieDramaMystery
An ailing barrister is thrust back into the courtroom in what becomes one of the most unusual and eventful murder cases of the lawyer's career when he finds himself defending a man being tried for the murder of a socialite.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter