A Family Thing

Genial Arkansas redneck Earl Pilcher (Robert Duvall) gets the shock of his life when he reads a letter left by his recently departed mother, which reveals that she wasn't his real mother, his father had a relationship with a black woman named Willa Mae, who died giving birth to Earl, and has a black half-brother he's never met, Raymond Murdock (James Earl Jones). Honoring his mother's last request, Earl drives to Chicago to meet Raymond; predictably enough, the reunion isn't an easy one for either man. Richard Pearce (THE LONG WALK HOME), who wears his conscience on his sleeve, directs with a heavy hand, and the premise has a strong Hallmark Hall of Fame vibe...