In the Family2012
In the Family (2012)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: In the Family uses one couple's tragedy to examine the legal meaning of parenthood - and make a persuasive argument for a more inclusive approach to family law.
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Movie Info
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Cast
as Joey Williams
as Cody Hines
as Chip Hines
as Paul Hawks
as Marge Hawks
as Sally Hines
as Eileen Robey
as Dave Robey
as Betsy
as Jefferson
as Anne
as Helen
as Gloria
Critic Reviews for In the Family
All Critics (25) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (24) | Rotten (1)
To see it is to sit there for long stretches amazed at how clumsy, fake and misguided it is. But then, five minutes later you might easily be riveted and moved by its awkward brilliance.
Trevor St. John is cute and broody-mouthed as the deceased lover; Wang, the movie's writer-director, is touchingly, disarmingly open; and the kid, Sebastian Banes, is adorable.
No doubt you've noticed the nearly three-hour runtime, but please don't let that dissuade you: Every moment counts in this gripping tale ...
As Wang holds us in rapt attention, not only with his steady pacing, but with the hard realism of the screenplay, the characters retain a coldness that never breaks.
Wang chooses gentle storytelling as a tool of persuasion rather than soap-box hectoring to make his point: that love - in all its forms - can transcend the greatest obstacles.
This deeply humanistic, profoundly touching work representing independent cinema at its finest should be seen by far wider audiences.
Audience Reviews for In the Family
The potential for over-the-top, weepy melodrama with this kind of material is obvious, but Patrick Wang opts for quiet realism. While the film sidesteps nearly all of the "movie-of the week" cliches, the glacial pace could be difficult for some people to endure (nearly three hours worth of this story probably isn't necessary), fortunately Wang makes the important moments count, so if you are patient "In the Family" is quite rewarding. Another thing that helps distinguish this film is its subtle demonstration of "Bourgeois Homophobia" (The kind of passive aggressive discrimination that's becoming more common in America than the violent hatred of old) and how perhaps the best response to it isn't righteous anger or protest . . . but rather impassioned, mature discussion and forgiveness.
Super Reviewer
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