Search - A Family Thing on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Mild Violence Movie Release: 1996 DVD Release: 05/08/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 49 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 0 Genres: Drama, Family Drama

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 truck and loves his momma. Shortly after his mother's death, he receives some very unexpected news; she wasn't really his mother after all. It seems that years ago, Earl Sr. (James N. Harrell) raped the family's African-American maid, Willie Mae, who nine months later died while giving birth to Earl Jr. To avoid further scandal, Mrs. Pilcher simply raised Earl Jr. as her own. While the family has kept the matter a secret all these years, Earl Jr. has a half-brother living in Chicago, and it was his mother's wish that the two should some day meet and become friends. Earl travels to Chicago and tracks down Ray Murdock (James Earl Jones), a veteran police officer and Willie Mae's other son. Earl Jr. quickly learns that Ray has little interest in getting to know him better; he knows all the facts behind the matter, and he's always blamed Earl for the death of his mother. However, Earl Jr. isn't used to life in a big city up north, and after he's mugged and carjacked, Ray grudgingly takes in his half-brother, letting him stay in the home he shares with his son Virgil (Michael Beach) and Aunt T. (Irma P. Hall), who raised Ray as a boy. A Family Thing was written by Billy Bob Thornton shortly before his breakthrough as writer, director, and star of Sling Blade. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Robert Duvall - Earl Pilcher, Jr.
James Earl Jones - Ray Murdock
Michael Beach - Virgil
Irma P. Hall - Aunt T.
Grace Zabriskie - Ruby

This heart-warming drama, written in part by Billy Bob Thornton, gets a streamlined presentation for its release on DVD. A Family Thing has been given a letterboxed transfer in its original widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1, and has also been enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16 x 9 monitors. The original English-language soundtrack has been mastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while a dubbed French version appears in Dolby Digital Surround. The disc is also coded with optional subtitles in Spanish and French, as well as closed captioning in English. As a bonus, this edition also includes the film's original theatrical trailer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide