In the Family

A film about a child custody case involving a gay man may immediately bring the words mawkish and melodramatic to mind, but these terms definitely don't apply to this excellent movie from Patrick Wang, who wrote, directed, and stars as Joey Williams, a small-town Tennessee contractor who has served as a second daddy to 6-year-old Chip (Sebastian Brodziak) for almost the boy's entire life. As flashbacks reveal, Chip's mother died in childbirth, and his grieving father, Cody (Trevor St. John), wound up falling in love with Joey. The trio enjoy a happy, loving household within a supportive extended family, but the comity is shattered when Cody is killed in a car crash. Since Cody never updated his will, his sister claims guardianship of Chip and freezes Joey out of the lad's life. Joey eventually finds a soft-spoken retiree lawyer (Brian Murray) willing to represent him, but instead of leading to a high-strung courtroom battle, the script features a lengthy deposition that avoids histrionics and rhetorical bombast, opting instead for gently moving soul-searching. This upending of expectations is characteristic of the entire film, which boasts refreshingly naturalistic dialogue and unforced performances. Powerful and rewarding, this is highly recommended. (F. Swietek)