In the Family (2011 film)

In the Family
Directed by Patrick Wang
Produced by Patrick Wang
Andrew van den Houten
Robert Tonino
Written by Patrick Wang
Starring Sebastian Banes
Patrick Wang
Trevor St. John
Music by Chip Taylor
Andy Wagner
Johnny Marshall
Cinematography Frank Barrera
Edited by Elwaldo Baptiste
Max Prum
Release dates
  • November 4, 2011 (2011-11-04)
Running time
 169 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $101,934[1]

In the Family is an independent 2011 drama film that was the directorial debut of Patrick Wang. It tells the story of the surviving partner's attempt to maintain his relationship with his dead partner's young son.

Cast

Reception

Critical response

The film has received critical acclaim since its release. Rotten Tomatoes gives a score of 96% based on 23 reviews, with an average score of 8.4/10.[2] At Metacritic it scored 82% based on reviews from 9 critics, considered "universal acclaim".[3]

Acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert awarded the film 4 out of 4 stars and quote, "I was completely absorbed from beginning to end. What a courageous first feature this is, a film that sidesteps shopworn stereotypes and tells a quiet, firm, deeply humanist story about doing the right thing".[4]

Kevin Uhlich of Time Out New York awarded the film 5 out of 5 stars and wrote "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".[5]

Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter called the film "deeply humanistic, profoundly touching work representing independent cinema at its finest".[6]

Paul Brunick of The New York Times said, "Mr. Wang's slow-reveal psychological drama isn't just a showcase for his excellent ensemble cast. Beautifully modulated and stylistically sui generis, In the Family is also one of the most accomplished and undersold directorial debuts this year".[7]

Rob Humanick of Slant magazine liked the film and awarded the film 4 out of 4 stars and wrote in his review "An acutely felt, altogether devastating family drama as intimate and affecting as it is sprawling and untamed."[8]

Robert Abele from the Los Angeles Times and said in this positive review "Deliberate and marked by uncommon grace, In The Family manages to feel politically and culturally acute without ever resorting to melodrama, or having to wave banners for issues or causes, except perhaps in its quiet way for a renewed humanism in movies and a return to stories about everyday lives" and "These days, a movie so invested in the highs and lows of caring for others can only be a remarkable, cherished thing."[9]

Andrew Schenker of Village Voice said of 'In the Family' that "With an incisive understanding of character, believably naturalistic acting, and lengthy scenes that don't feel stretched out so much as given room to breathe, In the Family proves that smart direction and an innate feeling for one's material trumps potentially precious subject matter."[10]

Accolades

The film was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature in 2012.[11]

Sebastian Banes won the Young Artist Award for Best Supporting Young Actor Age Ten and Under.[12]

The film also received "Best Feature" awards at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival and the Spokane International Film Festival, with Wang receiving "Best Emerging Filmmaker" awards at all three festivals as well.[13]

References

  1. ↑ In the Family at Box Office Mojo
  2. ↑ In the Family at Rotten Tomatoes
  3. ↑ In the Family at Metacritic
  4. ↑ Roger Ebert review: In the Family
  5. ↑ In the Family:review
  6. ↑ "In the Family: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 2012-05-05. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
  7. ↑ Brunick, Paul (November 3, 2011). "Yours, Mine and Ours, Defined for a New Era". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 19, 2013.
  8. ↑ In the Family, Critic Review
  9. ↑ "Review: 'In the Family' plays to the heart". L.A. Times. 2012-05-05. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
  10. ↑ In the Family, Critic Review
  11. ↑ "2012 Independent Spirit Awards Nominee In the Family". Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  12. ↑ "34th Annual Young Artist Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Retrieved 2013-03-31.
  13. ↑ Official website

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, November 07, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.