Uncle Frank (film)

Last updated
Uncle Frank
Uncle Frank (film).png
Official release poster
Directed by Alan Ball
Written byAlan Ball
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyKhalid Mohtaseb
Edited byJonathan Alberts
Music by Nathan Barr
Production
companies
  • Miramax
  • Your Face Goes Here Entertainment
  • Byblos Entertainment
  • Cota Films
  • Parts & Labor
Distributed by Amazon Studios
Release dates
  • January 25, 2020 (2020-01-25)(Sundance)
  • November 25, 2020 (2020-11-25)(United States)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Uncle Frank is a 2020 American comedy-drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Alan Ball. The film stars Paul Bettany and Sophia Lillis. Set in the 1970s, Uncle Frank is a road movie about a gay man who confronts his past. [1]

Contents

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020. It was released on November 25, 2020, by Amazon Studios.

Plot

In 1973, 18-year-old Beth Bledsoe moves from her home in Creekville, South Carolina, to attend college in New York City. Her uncle Frank Bledsoe is a college professor there, living with his girlfriend Charlotte. Frank is the relative she feels closest to as he is more refined and thoughtful than the rest of the family. Four years earlier, Frank had provided Beth with life-changing advice to always be herself, no matter what other people thought.

In college, Beth meets a boy, Bruce, and almost loses her virginity to him. Later, she shows up with Bruce unannounced to a party at Frank's apartment. Through events that happen at the party, she discovers that Frank is secretly gay and has actually been living with an Arabic Muslim man named Walid ("Wally") for over ten years. Frank rejects Bruce's sexual advance and later cares for Beth when she gets too drunk. He pleads with her not to tell anyone else in their family his secret, and she agrees.

The next day, Beth's grandfather and Frank's father, Daddy Mac, dies of a sudden heart attack. Frank agrees to drive Beth back to South Carolina for the funeral. Wally asks to come along and meet Frank's family, but Frank refuses, not yet ready to reveal the truth to them. However, Wally rents a car and follows them most of the way there. When Frank catches him, he agrees to let Wally come but insists Wally stay in a motel during the funeral services, fearful of what the locals might do if their true relationship is discovered.

Throughout their journey, Frank has flashbacks to his teenage years when he developed a sexual relationship with a local boy named Samuel. His father eventually caught them in bed together and called Frank an abomination against God as well as several homophobic slurs and insults based on his Christian beliefs. To cope with these memories, Frank begins secretly drinking; he asks Beth not to tell Wally, revealing that Frank is a recovering alcoholic.

After the funeral, Beth and Frank arrive home for a family potluck. At the reading of the will, Frank learns he has been cut out of his inheritance, and, through his lawyer, his dead father exposes Frank's homosexuality to the family in disgust and shame. An emotional Frank flees, driving away erratically while heavily drinking. A panicked Beth rushes to inform Wally, who drives them to the nearby lake where he suspects Frank went. A final flashback reveals that Frank told Samuel that they could not be together as it displeased God; Frank calls Sam the same slurs that his father said to him. Soon after he finds Samuel's suicide note, which shows that Samuel had internalized Frank's homophobic slurs. He then discovers Samuel's dead body floating in the lake.

In the present, Wally and Beth find Frank's clothes sitting on a dock by the water, but Frank is nowhere to be seen. Wally and Beth return to the motel where Wally grieves for Frank's apparent death. However, a drunken Frank returns, claiming he just went for a swim. An intense argument ensues when Wally confronts Frank for his drinking, leading Frank to punch Wally in the mouth and to call him the same slurs his father said to him before fleeing once again. Frank visits his father's grave before stealing flowers and weeping at Samuel's nearby grave. Wally follows him there, and they reconcile at Samuel's grave as Frank expresses guilt for his death. When Frank laments that he has no family left, Wally reassures him that he is Frank's family and "he knows it, I know it, and God knows it."

After an impassioned speech from Beth in the cemetery, Frank agrees to let Wally meet his family. While Frank's brother-in-law and elderly aunt are unable to accept him due to their Christian beliefs, his siblings and mother have no problem with Frank and warmly welcome Wally into the family with his mother saying, "You are my precious gift from God and nothing will ever change that."

Cast

Release

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020. [2] [3] [4] [5] Shortly after, Amazon Studios acquired distribution rights to the film. [6] It was released on November 25, 2020. [7]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 77% rating based on 119 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Uncle Frank finds writer-director Alan Ball still untangling the modern American family dynamic, aided by standout work from Paul Bettany and Sophia Lillis." [8] Metacritic reports a score of 58 out of 100, based on 21 critic reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [9]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2020
 Deauville American Film Festival Grand Prix (Grand Special Prize) Alan Ball Nominated [10]
Prix du Public (Audience Award)Won
Indiana Film Journalists Association AwardsBest Actor Paul Bettany Nominated [11]
Best Ensemble ActingUncle FrankNominated
Mill Valley Film Festival Audience Award (U.S. Cinema)Alan BallWon [12]
2021
 Dorian Awards LGBTQ Film of the Year Uncle FrankNominated [13]
GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding TV Movie Won [14]
Gold Derby TV Awards TV movieNominated [15]
Golden Nymph Awards Best FilmWon [16]
Best ActorPaul BettanyWon
Best CreationUncle FrankWon
Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards Best Period and/or Character Makeup –
Television Special, One Hour or More Live Program Series or Movie for Television		Lindsay Irish Desarno and Diane HellerNominated [17]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Television Movie Bob Osher, Andrew Golov, Christopher Tricarico, Josh Peters, Isaac Ericson, Bill Block, Michael Costigan, Jay Van Hoy, Stephanie Meurer, Peter Macdissi and Alan BallNominated [18]
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Best Supporting Actor Peter MacdissiRunner-up [19]
Best Ensemble Uncle FrankNominated
Satellite Awards Best Television Film Nominated [20]
Writers Guild of America Awards Long Form – Original Alan BallNominated [21]

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References

  1. ↑ Felperin, Leslie (January 25, 2020). "'Uncle Frank': Film Review | Sundance 2020". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  2. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 25, 2020). "Before Today's Sundance Premiere, 'American Beauty' Scribe Alan Ball Talks About His Film 'Uncle Frank'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  3. ↑ Ingram, Hunter (December 4, 2019). "Wilmington-shot 'Uncle Frank' to premiere at 2020 Sundance Film Festival". Wilmington Star News . Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Uncle Frank". www.sundance.org. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  5. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (December 4, 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  6. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 27, 2020). "Alan Ball's 'Uncle Frank' Acquired By Amazon: Sundance". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  7. ↑ Barfield, Charles (August 7, 2020). "'Uncle Frank' Clip: Paul Bettany & Sophia Lillis Star In This Sundance Standout Arriving This Thanksgiving". The Playlist. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Uncle Frank (2020)", Rotten Tomatoes , Fandango, archived from the original on 2020-11-21, retrieved 2021-10-10
  9. ↑ Uncle Frank Reviews, archived from the original on 2020-11-24, retrieved 2020-12-12
  10. ↑ "Deauville film festival: Jude Law drama 'The Nest' wins top prize". France 24 . 13 September 2020. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "IFJA Announces 2020 Film Awards". Indiana Film Journalists Association. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  12. ↑ "IFJA Announces 2020 Film Awards". Mill Valley Film Festival. Mill Valley Film Festival. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  13. ↑ Variety , April 18, 2021, by Jazz Tangcay, "Nomadland and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Named Top Films at Dorian Awards" Archived 2021-04-19 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ "Disclosure, Schitt's Creek, Sam Smith, Happiest Season, I May Destroy You, CHIKA, Veneno, Star Trek: Discovery, The Boys in the Band, The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo among award recipients at the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards". GLAAD . April 8, 2021. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  15. ↑ "2021 Gold Derby TV Awards nominations: 'The Crown,' 'Ted Lasso,' 'SNL,' 'Mare of Easttown' among top shows". Gold Derby. Gold Derby. 8 July 2021. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  16. ↑ "2021 Golden Nymph Awards Winners". Monte-Carlo Television Festival. Monte-Carlo Television Festival. Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Nominations Announced for the 2021 Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards". PR Newswire. 2021-02-18. Archived from the original on 2021-02-18. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  18. ↑ "Uncle Frank". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ "2020 San Diego Film Critics Society Award Winners". San Diego Film Critics Society. January 11, 2021. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  20. ↑ "2020 Winners". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  21. ↑ Lewis, Hilary (February 3, 2021). "WGA Awards: 'Better Call Saul' Scores Leading 5 Nominations in TV, New Media, News Categories". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
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