Gripping film examines the trials and tribulations of a modern American family after tragedy strikes
IN THE FAMILY (Patrick Wang, 2011)
Cinema Village
22 East 12th St. between University Pl. & Fifth Ave.
November 16-22
212-924-3363
www.inthefamilythemovie.com
www.cinemavillage.com
First-time writer director Patrick Wang proves to be a quadruple threat in his extraordinary feature-film debut, In the Family. An actor, theater director, and economist with an MIT degree, Wang, who is also the star of the film and one of the producers, reveals a smart economy in the quietly powerful drama, despite its 169 minutes. Wang plays Joey Williams, an Asian-American contractor living in Tennessee with his partner, teacher Cody Hines (Trevor St. John), and Cody’s young son, Chip (Sebastian Brodziak), from a previous marriage. They are a happy family, but when Cody suddenly dies in a tragic car accident, Joey’s life slowly starts to fall apart as he discovers he has no legal rights to any of Cody’s holdings and possessions, including Chip. Joey faces his dilemma with an almost Zen-like demeanor, calmly believing that everything will work out and that Cody’s family — sister Eileen (Kelly McAndrew), brother-in-law Dave (Peter Hermann), and mother Sally (Park Overall) — will do the right thing. But as he soon finds out, that isn’t the case, so he considers taking legal action, but without any footing, no lawyer will represent him. While he sits alone in the house that used to be so filled with life and hope, Joey recalls happier times, as flashbacks show how he and Cody first met and eventually fell in love. Wang and cinematographer Frank Barrera (Runaway, As Good as Dead) barely move the camera during the contemporary scenes, allowing the audience to feel the pain building inside Joey, while the flashbacks are shot with a shaky handheld camera that evokes the turmoil to come. Wang avoids genre clichés, wisely choosing not to make grand statements about same-sex marriage, civil unions, and gay rights, instead letting the story play out in a lyrical yet heartbreaking way. First and foremost, Joey, Cody, and Chip were a family — not a gay or mixed-race family — and Joey can’t understand why they are being treated differently than if they were a supposedly more traditional husband, wife, and child. The acting is solid throughout, with a documentary-like quality — Wang cites Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage and John Cassavetes’s A Woman Under the Influence as major inspirations — highlighted by a fine turn by multiple Tony nominee Brian Murray as a client of Joey’s. Don’t let the length scare you away — In the Family is a gripping, involving movie that will make you forget all about time. Nominated for Best First Feature at the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards, In the Family opens November 16 at Cinema Village, playing daily at 4:40, with Murray appearing opening day and Brodziak on hand Saturday and Sunday.