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In the Family

Play trailer Poster for In the Family 2011 2h 49m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
After his partner dies in a car accident, a gay man (Patrick Wang) must fight for custody of the boy (Sebastian Brodziak) he's come to love as his own son.

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In the Family

In the Family

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Critics Consensus

In the Family uses one couple's tragedy to examine the legal meaning of parenthood - and make a persuasive argument for a more inclusive approach to family law.

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Critics Reviews

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Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle 12/07/2012
2/4
To see it is to sit there for long stretches amazed at how clumsy, fake and misguided it is. But then, five minutes later you might easily be riveted and moved by its awkward brilliance. Go to Full Review
Marsha McCreadie Village Voice 11/13/2012
Trevor St. John is cute and broody-mouthed as the deceased lover; Wang, the movie's writer-director, is touchingly, disarmingly open; and the kid, Sebastian Banes, is adorable. Go to Full Review
Keith Uhlich Time Out 11/13/2012
5/5
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 ... Go to Full Review
Nathanael Hood Unseen Films 01/06/2020
9/10
...a humanist triumph. Go to Full Review
Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 08/06/2019
Wang has created what sounds like a hot topic potboiler on paper and made a film that's as hopefully humanistic as it is melancholically realistic. Go to Full Review
Mattie Lucas From the Front Row 08/06/2019
3.5/4
An emotionally shattering denouement to one of the year's most truly special debuts, heralding the arrival of a thrilling new cinematic voice. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Alec B 11/10/2023 The potential for over-the-top, weepy melodrama with this kind of material is obvious, but Patrick Wang opts for quiet realism. While the film sidesteps nearly all of the "movie-of the week" clichés by showing how in many cases the best response to intolerance isn't righteous anger or protest but rather impassioned, mature discussion and forgiveness. See more nilufer e @Nilicim 06/04/2018 It was way too long and slow for my taste but it had what you would expect from a family drama, realistic and sentimental. Good acting and cute and lovable characters. See more 02/08/2017 Not bad at all, even though kinda melodramatic in blood. But 170 minutes is real too overlong for a feature film no matter what. See more 07/01/2014 Maybe one of the most poignant movies I have seen. Definitely worth the long length. Patrick Wang is well worth watching in the future as both a director and as an actor. See more 04/06/2014 The potential for over-the-top, weepy melodrama with this kind of material is obvious, but Patrick Wang opts for quiet realism. While the film sidesteps nearly all of the "movie-of the week" clichés, the glacial pace could be difficult for some people to endure (nearly three hours worth of this story probably isn't necessary), fortunately Wang makes the important moments count, so if you are patient "In the Family" is quite rewarding. Another thing that helps distinguish this film is its subtle demonstration of "Bourgeois Homophobia" (The kind of passive aggressive discrimination that's becoming more common in America than the violent hatred of old) and how perhaps the best response to it isn't righteous anger or protest but rather impassioned, mature discussion and forgiveness. See more 03/30/2014 Although slow at times and although I thought the part stretched Mr. Wang's abilities as an actor, the movie as a whole is great and I didn't notice until the end that I was so engrossed in the plot that 3 hours had gone by. What could have turned into a cheesy overdramatic production was done with amazingly understated taste. If there ever was a reason why gay marriage should be legal, this movie gives a backstage view at what gay couples who share a home have to face when their union is not recognized by the law. Some people choose to scream, this movie chose to calmly and logically argue in favour of gay rights simply by showing the love of a gay couple and their love for their son See more Read all reviews
In the Family

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Movie Info

Synopsis After his partner dies in a car accident, a gay man (Patrick Wang) must fight for custody of the boy (Sebastian Brodziak) he's come to love as his own son.
Director
Patrick Wang
Screenwriter
Patrick Wang
Production Co
In the Family
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 1, 2017
Runtime
2h 49m
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