“Black or White” tells the story of Elliot Anderson (played by Kevin Costner). After losing his wife in a car accident, he learns how to indepently raise his granddaughter, Eloise (Jillian Estell), who has lived with him since her mother, Elliot’s daughter, died during childbirth. Just as Elliot’s life starts running smoothly again, Eloise’s black grandmother Rowena (Octavia Spencer) files a lawsuit against him for full custody. Elliot finds himself battling against race and prejudice as he fights for the rights to his granddaughter.
The movie feels heartwarming, yet comical. Eloise brings a cheerful and innocent attitude to the story and despite the seriousness of the topic, director Mike Binder sufficiently lightens the mood with little moments of humor throughout the film. As the movie progresses, tensions between characters increase, seizing the viewer’s undivided attention as they eagerly wait for the custody trial to take place.
Although the trailers portray a family-friendly concept, ideas of drug and alcohol addiction, racism, prejudice and violence reappear during the movie. Crude language reoccurs during the movie, but does not show up in dialogue too frequently compared to other films.
The movie explores the idea of racism in a new way. During the custody trial, Elliot explains that one of the first things we notice is race, but our first thought about someone does not matter. The thoughts that follow it define our character. No negative comments came to my mind when watching “Black or White.” I would definitely watch it again and I recommend it to anyone.
