Black or White
Black or White

Movie spotlight

Black or White

2015
Movie
121 min
English

A grieving widower is drawn into a custody battle over his granddaughter, whom he helped raise her entire life.

Insights

IMDb6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes36%
Metacritic53/100
Google Users70%
Director: Mike BinderGenres: Drama

Plot Summary

A grandfather (Kevin Costner) is forced to fight for custody of his biracial granddaughter after her mother's death. As the custody battle escalates, buried family secrets and resentments come to the surface, challenging racial and class divides within the family and community. The film explores themes of grief, reconciliation, and the complexities of race in America.

Critical Reception

Black or White received mixed reviews from critics. While many praised the performances, particularly from Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer, and acknowledged the film's attempt to tackle sensitive racial and social issues, others found the script to be heavy-handed and predictable. Audiences were somewhat divided, with some appreciating the emotional core and others criticizing its earnest but ultimately unsubtle approach.

What Reviewers Say

  • Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer deliver strong performances that anchor the film.

  • The film tackles important social issues but does so in a heavy-handed and predictable manner.

  • The courtroom drama and family conflicts are compelling for some viewers, while others find it melodramatic.

Google audience: Audience reviews suggest appreciation for the emotional depth and the performances of the lead actors. However, many found the film's handling of racial themes to be simplistic and its narrative progression somewhat uninspired.

Fun Fact

The film was inspired by a real-life incident involving director Mike Binder's neighbor and her child.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

1 reviews
Reno

Reno

> Emotional dispute for an innocent young soul. One of the beautiful melodrama of the year. It is a partial courtroom drama and it was about a biracial kid, whose grandparents fight to own the custody. Obviously a sensitive matter, but i...