The words “epic” and “indie” don’t generally appear in the same sentence, unless the movie is a grand period piece, set in some exotic faraway land, spanning several generations. Foreign films tend to do this particularly well, but it’s quite uncommon in American independent cinema. In the Family is one of those rare films, yet its story takes place in present day Tennessee over the course of just a few months. That singular achievement owes itself primarily to multi-hyphenate wunderkind Patrick Wang, who wrote, directed, and produced this picture, in which he also plays the starring role.
This is a peek into the lives of one slightly atypical family. We know this household is unconventional from the very first scene, as rambunctious six-year-old Chip awakens and runs excitedly into his parents’ bedroom, where he’s greeted by Dad Joey and Pa Cody. Yes, Chip has two dads, but In the Family is not a grand political statement about gay marriage (the word “gay” isn’t even used once in the film).
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