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B-It’s easy to bash Black or White, writer/director Mike Binder‘s earnest effort to explore race relations in 21st century America from the point of view of a wealthy white man, and many critics have done just that. The movie is not a documentary, and the racial issues it explores are not nearly as pressing as those that have regularly made the front page in the last couple of years. Yet, before it falls apart in an overly melodramatic third act, Black or White is an engaging and at times insightful family drama.

The wealthy white man in this case is Elliot Anderson (Kevin Costner), a newly widowed attorney with a bi-racial granddaughter Eloise (Jillian Estell) and a major drinking problem. Eloise’s other grandmother Rowena (Octavia Spencer) wants to be a bigger part of the girl’s life but Elliot refuses because of his ill will towards Eloise’s father Reggie (Andre Holland), a drug-addicted petty criminal. Since Rowena’s brother (Anthony Mackie) is an even higher-powered powered attorney than Elliot, a major custody battle ensues. 

Kevin Costner carries Black or White with one of his best acting performances in years. Elliot at times seems a stereotype (he even resorts to referring to Reggie by the n-word), but Costner’s chemistry with young Estell is amazing. He makes Elliot comical without ever becoming a total joke. Mike Binder has a firm hand on his material for most of the movie and gives most of his characters just enough depth to make Black or White interesting and at least somewhat unpredictable. Unfortunately, Binder apparently couldn’t think of a way to resolve the custody issues, so he resorts to a bizarre, violent plot twist that makes the ending anticlimactic and far too convenient. Ending aside, Black or White is a generally entertaining crowd pleaser that at least raises some significant issues, even if its answers are by no means comprehensive.
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