I once admitted publicly that I had “never seen a Kevin Costner movie I didn’t like.” He has always played roles of someone in charge of their destiny, regardless of the circumstances. Movies like Waterworld and The Postman were roundly panned by the critics, yet I enjoyed them both as Costner’s heroic characters defied logic and prevailed. Perhaps the best example of his unflappable persona was his portrayal of Ray Kinsella in The Field of Dreams.
My perspective on him hasn’t changed after seeing Black or White, but admittedly this is at the lower end of my “Costner scale.” For a change he is not always in charge of what’s happening, and at times that swaggering confidence is missing. His character Elliot Anderson faces challenges too close to home, unveiling a side of Costner’s acting skills that we haven’t seen much of before.
In this story, which is based on true events, Elliot Anderson and his wife have custody of their granddaughter and have had since she was born. The mitigating circumstances surrounding her birth are compounded by the fact she is bi-racial, which has had no bearing on her upbringing or the love and adoration showered on her by the Anderson’s. Life is moving along just fine, thank you, as ten year old Eloise, played by Jillian Estell, happily engages with family and her friends at school. I should add that Ms. Estell is an adorable young lady and steals the show from the higher powers around her.
Black or White a gray area
Entertainment Rating: ★★1/2
Rating: PG-13: Scattered profanity, alcohol abuse, drug usage, and racial overtones.
Possible Oscar Nominations: None
Eloise’s paternal grandparents have played only a small role in her life, until a series of events brings them to the forefront. Suddenly, there is a custody battle on the horizon and the “race card” is played up front as the battle lines are drawn. Octavia Spencer does a splendid job as Rowena Jeffers, the other grandmother, and becomes someone you will most likely love to hate. Not only, she claims, does little Eloise need to be with “her kind,” but some lifestyle habits of Elliot Anderson are called into play.
The innermost and private aspects of everyone’s life are brought up and there are moments when it resembles a soap opera. Scrambling and fighting to keep his granddaughter at times brings Anderson to his knees, arousing feelings among those watching of frustration and empathy. The scriptwriters then decided to insert a series of implausible events bringing things to a close, which de-railed an otherwise decent story.
At times, the story moves a little slowly and there are a few bizarre events and characters to liven things up. All in all I would say good, not great.
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