A Family Thing Page #2

Synopsis: 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.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director(s): Richard Pearce
Production: MGM Home Entertainment
  3 wins & 2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.0
Metacritic:
71
Rotten Tomatoes:
73%
PG-13
Year:
1996
109 min
482 Views


"but she didn't want to.

"She said she was scared

of him and scared not to.

"I was mad at her for a while

and mad at your daddy,

"but he said he didn't do it,

"and I believed him against her

"until she come up pregnant.

"He had to come up with

the truth because...

she had a white baby. "

"Now... "

Hmm... sheesh.

"Willa Mae is your real

mama by blood, Earl.

"You come up looking white,

so nobody knew the difference. "

Isn't that cute?

"But I always loved you

as my own, Earl.

"Please forgive me.

"If you do, I have a wish

for you to do for me.

"Willa Mae had another boy

before you named Raymond.

"Raymond Lee Murdock.

"They called him point

"'cause when he was little,

he had a pointy head.

Willa Mae was my friend,

and Raymond was your brother. "

"That whole family

was good people to us,

"and they are your family,

"and if you don't ever have

another thought about me

"or look at my picture

or anything,

"I wish the one thing

you would do for me

"is to find your brother

and know him as your family. "

Hmm.

"Willa Mae died having you.

I was right there. "

Oh, Lord.

"She told me that after

you come into this world

"that you was beautiful

"and that she loved you...

"and that she loved you.

"The last I heard,

"Raymond was in Chicago

and was a policeman.

"That's all I ever heard.

"I will always, for eternity,

"love you as my son.

Mama. "

Now, daddy, mama's mind was

going at the end, wasn't it?

I mean, this is all just

a bunch of crazy stuff

she dreamed up.

I mean, did you...

Did you lie in bed

with a n*gger woman?

Go ahead and cry

your damn eyes out

'cause I wanna know

who my real mama is.

Is she colored, or is she white?

It's a mess, daddy.

Now, you lied to me

for many years.

You're a sorry son of a b*tch.

I love you, but you're sorry.

And this is a mess.

I...

I mean to tell you this is a mess.

So I hardly walk in the door,

and I find out David has

called a big meeting.

And you know how in love David

is with meetings. So, the deal is,

they put in a new computer

system without telling anybody,

and then they expect us

to learn it in five minutes.

I swear, I'm just about

fed up with that place.

Better not quit that job.

Jobs don't grow on trees around here.

Who said anything about

quitting, daddy? I was just...

complaining.

That's about all you do.

Where's papaw at?

He went to bed already.

Said he was feeling

all wore out, poor thing.

I wasn't complaining, daddy.

I was just talking about my day.

What's the matter with

you, anyways? Nothing.

Just trying to eat

my supper in peace.

That's all.

Ha.

You blue-eyed n*gger.

Where...

Where are my blue britches?

Rate this script:4.3 / 3 votes

Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker, singer, songwriter, and musician. Thornton had his first break when he co-wrote and starred in the 1992 thriller One False Move, and received international attention after writing, directing, and starring in the independent drama film Sling Blade (1996), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He appeared in several major film roles in the 1990s following Sling Blade, including Oliver Stone's neo-noir U Turn (1997), political drama Primary Colors (1998), science fiction disaster film Armageddon (1998), the highest-grossing film of that year, and the crime drama A Simple Plan (1998), which earned him his third Oscar nomination. In the 2000s, Thornton achieved further success in starring dramas Monster's Ball (2001), The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), and Friday Night Lights (2004); comedies Bandits (2001), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), and Bad Santa (2003); and action films Eagle Eye (2008) and Faster (2010). In 2014, Thornton starred as Lorne Malvo in the first season of the anthology series Fargo, earning a nomination for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie at the Emmy Awards and won Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards. In 2016, he starred in an Amazon original series, Goliath, which earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama. Thornton has been vocal about his distaste for celebrity culture, choosing to keep his life out of the public eye. However, the attention of the media has proven unavoidable in certain cases, his marriage to Angelina Jolie being a notable example. Thornton has written a variety of films, usually set in the Southern United States and mainly co-written with Tom Epperson, including A Family Thing (1996) and The Gift (2000). After Sling Blade, he directed several other films, including Daddy and Them (2001), All the Pretty Horses (2000), and Jayne Mansfield's Car (2012). Thornton has received the President's Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, a Special Achievement Award from the National Board of Review, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has also been nominated for an Emmy Award, four Golden Globes, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. In addition to film work, Thornton began a career as a singer-songwriter. He has released four solo albums and is the vocalist of the blues rock band The Boxmasters. more…

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