Black or White

Racism as a plot line has become a very safe and simple one as of late. In the past any film that even approached race was a risk, anyone working on the film would have to be very gutsy to attempt it. However as of late racism has become kind of a cop out and has become a very safe option. This however it not true of Black and White.

As soon as the movie begin we are faced with tragedy, our main character (Played by Kevin Costner) has recently losed his wife and is forced to raise he bi-racial granddaughter all by himself. As you could imagine this is no simple task, especially when you have a drinking problem. Throughout the movie we see our protagonist struggling to raise his grand-daughter alone and struggling with his heavy drinking problem that he has. To make matters worse the grandmother on the other side of the family want custody of the child.

The depth this movie goes into is incredible. In the raging custody battle both sides attempt to bring up dirt on the other to prove that they are not suited to raise a child. With twist and turns and even a downright suspenseful finish Black and White tackles many things movies haven't done before. First and foremost out hero is called many times a racist and even brings up racist remarks from time to time. Many black stereotypes are brought into question and reviewed throughout the court trial. And without spoiling anything the end contains a both amazing and very controversial monologue (The highlight of the film in my opinion)

Amidst tragedy, family, fear, and prejudice Black and White is a film that needs to be seen. It is a movie that is able to throw all this sorrow at you but still leave you with a smile when you leave the theatre. A must see.

Black or white, nobody's perfect and the movie does a good job portraying that. Kevin Costner plays Elliot Andersen, the grandfather of a Eloise Andersen who he's been raising with his wife since the day she was born, but when he's wife passes suddenly, her Grandma Rowena does not feel Elliot is capable of taken care of the child alone, epically when the death of his wife brings out what she considers his drinking problem, so she gets her little brother, a lawyer to take legal action.

The movie seems to work as a vehicle to freely say the things that I think need to be said about race in this country. We live in a world were we can be so politically correct that it does nothing to actually solve the problem, but sweep it under the rug, and this movie is not about that.

But that's superficial for selling the movie to the audience. Black or White would work equally if everyone in the movie were black or white. It's a real story about a blended family were the child is unable to be cared for by the parents and the village has to step in.

This movie is about love, as sappy as it sounds. No one is perfect, but if you love someone enough, the right thing can be done for their benefit. this statement goes for anyone no matter if they are black or white.

Black or White does work for the court room scenes however. It was like watching two different countries use an political agenda to take control of an island they both wanted. To watch Grandpa Elliot do nothing but show love for his Eloise, after his wife's death and attempt to keep it all together for her, then watch him be attacked in the court for being too white to take care of a black child was painful.

Yeah, I would definitely recommend this movie to see, I'm glad Costner was able to get it made.

From the title and the way the film was marketed, you'd get the impression that this is a movie about a custody dispute that all boils down to race. Well, this plays only the tiniest part in a film and is instead a film where there are lots of gray areas...and the custody situation is NOT black or white (metaphorically speaking).

When the film begins, Elliot (Kevin Costner) is at the hospital, as his wife just died. It's not just going to effect him, however, as he and his wife was the caretakers for their granddaughter, Eloise. However, although it's always clear that Elliot loves her, he's also got a drinking problem...though it does not appear to impair his ability to care for the child...at least at the present.

Soon, Eloise's Grandmother (Octavia Spencer) has filed for custody of the child. Much of this might have been avoided if Elliot had allowed the other side of the family (the black side) to see the girl. He, however, is angry at them as Eloise's father is a crack- head and the father's family is in denial about his current drug use or ability to care for the child. He's a mess, and clearly he should NOT care for any child...let alone a pet! But, the rest of the family seems to possibly be able to care for Eloise...but they've got to get over the Grandmother's fantasies about her son and his addiction. How does all this work out? See the film.

Overall, I enjoyed this film but must strongly point out that it is NOT strictly a film about race. Instead, it shows how both sides of the family care but are really screwed up...and it's up to the judge to determine what's best. I appreciated this and enjoyed the film. My only reservation is the last 10 minutes or so of the movie...it didn't seem all too realistic in many ways. So, I am recommending it but think it does, in some ways, miss the mark. Well worth seeing.

funny, brilliant, honest script and actors who pull off both harshness and sympathy. special mention to Anthony Mackie, though I know all the critics will give a lion's share of praise to Octavia Spencer and Kevin Costner. Mackie (aka the Falcon) delivers a powerful, resonating speech that simply must be heard. the judge was awesome too, absolutely spot on.

i saw this with my mother at the Toronto Intl Film Festival Elgin Winter Garden Theatre. the room was packed, and the crowd was mixed not just racially but generational too. this is truly a universal film despite its title.

i highly highly recommend this film to everyone.

I was not surprised to read that this film was based on actual events. I am sure that these situations have played out numerous times when it comes to mulatto children. The one thing that did surprise me is that Kevin Costner felt so strongly about this film that he financed it himself (along with his wife). Being mulatto myself I was happy to see that a film that broached the subject was finally being made and it could not have come at a better time with all the racial issues of recent days. Mr. Costner recommended that you see this film with someone that does not look like you; and I agree. This film is about two grandparents that deeply love their granddaughter, Eloise (Jillian Estell). With the death of Elliot Anderson's (Kevin Costner) wife, Rowena Jeffers (Octavia Spencer) feels like she would be the better person to raise Eloise than Elliot and the battle ensues. Rick Reynolds (Bill Burr) is engaged to handle Elliot's case and Jeremiah Jeffers (Anthony Mackie) is representing Rowena. Both of these attorneys have their hands full because both Elliot and Rowena have issues of their own. The character that I enjoyed the most was Duvan Araga (Mpho Koako) who is the tutor hired by Elliot to help Eloise stay focused on her studies among other things. The theater was pretty packed and I think that everyone in the theater was enjoying the film. You can tell that it is a good movie when everyone else reacts the same way that you do to certain situations. This film has the potential to generate a lot of dialog which I think was the intent to begin with. I had never heard of writer/director Mike Binder, but I think that after this film, his name will be more recognizable in the future. What I got out of the film is that it is not Black OR White….. It is Black AND White. I think that the entire cast did an excellent job and I would highly recommend this film to everyone.