Northwest Film Forum

In his remarkably assured directorial debut, Patrick Wang offer a sensitive story of a child custody battle in a two-Dad family. Wang also gives an outstanding performance as Joey, a gay Asian American man living in the South whose idyllic life is torn asunder when he loses his adopted son after the death of his partner. This is an absorbing, courageous first feature shown in the context of marriage equality laws pending across the country. Removing all potential controversy from such a tale, In The Family offers a profound and poetic launching point for healing and clarity.

"With an incisive understanding of character, believably naturalistic acting, and lengthy scenes that don't feel so much stretched out as given room to breathe, In the Family proves that smart direction and an innate feeling for one's material trumps potentially precious subject matter...Wang evinces a keen awareness of the ways in which family members interact, grieve, and open their hearts to one another." -Seattle Weekly

"adheres to a lifelike minimalism that is cumulatively stunning...The film's patient focus is a wonder to behold. This story could have fueled a preachy exposé on the legal horrors confronting gay couples and the desperate, dramatic need for marriage equality. In Wang's hands, it's a nearly three-hour, deeply subtle snapshot of a fully complicated gay life. Rarely is a film this stylistically audacious also this humane." -The Stranger

"Deeply humanistic, profoundly touching work representing independent cinema at its finest...herals the emergence of a major filmmaking talent." -The Hollywood Reporter

"It's so morally invigorating you might just feel the world tremble." -Slant Magazine