BLACK OR WHITE (Mike Binder). 121 minutes. Opens Friday (January 30). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NN
Don’t expect many shades of grey in Mike Binder‘s Black Or White. Inspired by a true story, it’s about as edgy as Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner meets Kramer Vs. Kramer.
High-powered attorney Elliot (Kevin Costner) has just lost his wife (Jennifer Ehle, in unfortunate flashbacks) in a car accident. That leaves him taking sole care of their mixed-race granddaughter, Eloise (Jillian Estell). The couple became her guardians after their daughter died giving birth. Eloise’s deadbeat druggie dad, Reggie (André Holland), is MIA.
But soon Eloise’s paternal grandmother, Rowena (Octavia Spencer), comes a-knocking and asking to share custody. She says Reggie’s cleaned up his act. When Elliot, an alcoholic, says no, Rowena (or Wee Wee, as she’s annoyingly called) brings in her lawyer brother, Jeremiah (Anthony Mackie).
This is movie-of-the-week material, pitting the salt-of-the-earth Rowena and her warm, loving extended family (including her lesbian daughter and her partner who live across the street) against Elliot’s sterile WASPness.
Only Costner’s salty, unselfconscious turn as a cranky codger makes the film almost bearable.
