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The last few years several films concerning race relations in America have been released to much acclaim (LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER), Academy Awards (12 YEARS A SLAVE), and big box office success (THE HELP). Just two weeks ago Oscar nominee SELMA was given a wide coast-to-coast roll-out. But those true-life and fictional flicks were set in the past (YEARS over a century and a half ago). How about one set in the 21st century? Done, thanks to star/producer Kevin Costner and director/writer Mike Binder (they teamed ten years ago for the entertaining comedy/drama THE UPSIDE OF ANGER). They’re going to try to shed a little light and start the healing with BLACK OR WHITE.

The film begins as the affluent, tranquil life of high-priced LA lawyer Elliot Anderson (Costner) is shattered when his beloved wife Carol (Jennifer Ehle) is killed in a car crash.  Elliot must raise his grade school-aged, bi-racial granddaughter Eloise (Jillian Estell) by himself. Now, let’s navigate the family history. Elliot and Carol’s only daughter had taken up with petty criminal Reggie Davis (Andre Holland) a few years ago which severely strained the Anderson household. Unbeknownst to her folks, Elliot’s daughter became pregnant (her health problems made it risky), and died during childbirth. When Reggie skipped out, the Andersons took custody of the baby girl. But Reggie’s family stayed in the picture, particularly Eloise’s paternal grandmother Rowena ‘Wee Wee’ Jeffers (Octavia Spencer). After Carol’s funeral Rowena pressures Elliott to allow Eloise more extended visits with her and her large extended family in Compton. When Elliot dismisses her requests, this, along with the return of Reggie, prompts Rowena, with the aid of her attorney brother Jeremiah (Anthony Mackie) to file for custody of Eloise. While drowning his grief with booze, Elliot must struggle to pull himself together in order to hold on to the last member of his family.

Costner tempers his leading man persona and gives one of his most engaging recent performances (perhaps since that last pairing with Binder). He has real chemistry with Estell (could this be his first grandpa’ role?), demonstrating a real tenderness while he brightens up to verbally spar with Spencer. Unfortunately he’s not as strong in those scenes dealing with Elliot’s alcohol dependency. There’s none of the clichéd staggering, but merely a short-fused temper and amped-up perspiration. Considering all the imbibing shown, it’s tough to believe Elliot can function at all. Spencer’s best work maybe in the film’s opening act as she tries to comfort Elliot and later state her case for Eloise while running the many businesses out of her garage (no room in this house which is constantly filled to the brim with family). And then the big showdown begins when the script calls for Rowena to completely devolve into a shrieking, bug-eyed harpy Hell bent on antagonizing the judge (played smartly by TV vet Paula Newsome). She’s a whirling dervish in need of restraint by her brother portrayed by the enegmatic Mackie (yup, Cap’s pal the Falcon), who’s terrific when he’s getting her and her son in line (and very believable as a man of law). Holland tries his best in the tired role of the irresponsible junkie (the guy smokes crack on a porch right across the street from his Mom’s place?!). This wild card is incapable of any action until the script needs him to do so  for big showdowns and conflict. Estell is a charming juvenile who never becomes cloying, an achingly sweet angel worth fighting for. Stand-up comic Bill Burr delivers some tough love as Elliot’s best bud. The film’s biggest crime may be the squandering of two talented actresses. Ehle is merely a glowing, smiling spectre, while the gorgeous, wonderful Gillian Jacobs (the sublime Bree from TV’s “Community”) is wasted as Burr’s dim-bulb girlfriend who thankfully vanishes after the film’s first third.

As with many hot-button topic films, this plays as more of a made-for-basic-cable-TV movie blessed with a big time feature flick cast. This may be the fault of a script that wants to hammer home points without building the drama in a realistic fashion. There’s an effort to play fair to both opposing sides in court, but the drinking problem that’s the Achilles heel of Elliot rings false. The fancy drink cart is in prominent in every scene in every room of his home (maybe he’s got multiple carts). And what of his all-white legal council, one of them looks like a portly “Old South” lawyer complete with suspenders right from central casting. Plus a violent struggle in the final act is almost laughably ludicrous. This precedes a witness confession/monologue by Elliot that is right out of classic TV’s Perry Mason (which harkens back to him spewing an epithet at Reggie in the film’s most stilted bit of dialogue).The final verdict seems obvious well before the ninety-minute mark, but a condescending coda prior to the final fade-out rings utterly false. Binder’s pedestrian direction adds little tension or energy. The race issue needs to be thoughtfully discussed in films, so you could say that BLACK OR WHITE has its heart in the right place. It’s a shame that despite a few good performances it doesn’t have a good script to match those good intentions.

2 Out of 5