Black or White (2014)

Definitely not high art, this story of a suddenly widowed white man being sued by a black woman for custody of their mutual granddaughter, raised by him and his wife, is entertaining enough, with star Kevin Costner and director/writer Mike Binder having done much better work in The Upside of Anger (2005) (Binder also did good work starring in the TV series he created, The Mind of the Married Man). In fact, Costner (last blogged in McFarland USA) personally financed this one because he believed so much in the previous one. Octavia Spencer (most recently in Get On Up) does a great job, as usual, rolling those big eyes as grandma Wee-Wee (short for Rowena). Supporting cast includes André Holland (last in Selma as Andrew Young) as the crackhead deadbeat dad, Anthony Mackie (most recently in Our Brand Is Crisis) as Wee-Wee's lawyer, and young Jillian Estell (her second feature) as Eloise.

Shot almost entirely in New Orleans, this has a soundtrack by Terence Blanchard, about whom I just wrote in Chi-Raq. I streamed this one two weeks ago because I saw it on Blanchard's resumé and thought I had seen it but forgotten to write it up. Jack and I must have seen the trailer a dozen times but never followed up. Jack's favorite lines from the trailer are as follows. Mackie: Do you hate black people? Costner: Not all of 'em.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics didn't like it one bit, averaging 40% to audiences' 66. Die-hard Costner fans have already seen it. The rest of you can pass.