Hollywood rarely does "messy" well. Usually, when a big studio tackles race, they give you something polished, predictable, and safely wrapped in a bow. But then there’s Black or White, the 2014 drama that Kevin Costner didn't just star in—he basically willed it into existence with his own bank account.
If you’ve ever scrolled through a streaming service and seen the thumbnail of Costner looking grizzled next to Octavia Spencer, you might have assumed it was just another "white savior" flick or a standard courtroom procedural. You'd be wrong.
The movie is a weird, jagged, and surprisingly honest look at a custody battle that refuses to stay in the lines. It’s about a grandfather, Elliot Anderson (Costner), who is drowning in grief and vodka, fighting to keep his biracial granddaughter, Eloise, away from her paternal grandmother, Rowena (Spencer).
Why Nobody Wanted to Make This Movie
Here’s the thing: Black or White was a "no" from almost every major studio.
Why? Because it’s uncomfortable. It doesn't treat race like a lecture; it treats it like a family dinner where everyone is shouting. Mike Binder, the writer and director, actually based the script on a real situation in his own life. After his sister-in-law passed away, his family helped raise his biracial nephew. He saw firsthand the weird, subtle, and sometimes overt friction between two families from different worlds trying to love the same kid.
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Costner read the script and loved it so much that when the studios passed, he put up a huge chunk of the $9 million budget himself. That's a massive gamble. But Costner has a history of this—remember Dances with Wolves? The guy bets on himself when he believes in the story.
It Isn't Just "Black or White"
The title is a bit of a trick. While the legal battle is between a white man and a Black woman, the movie spends more time in the gray areas of human failure.
Elliot is an alcoholic. Not the "charming movie drunk" type, either. He’s the kind of guy who forgets to brush his granddaughter's hair and drinks Scotch for breakfast because his wife just died in a car crash and his daughter died years ago in childbirth. He’s a mess.
On the other side, Rowena is a powerhouse. She’s a self-made businesswoman in South-Central L.A. with a massive, supportive family. But she’s also pushing for her son, Reggie, to have a role in Eloise’s life. The problem? Reggie is a drug addict who has been absent for years.
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The Courtroom Moment Everyone Remembers
There is a scene where Costner’s character is on the stand, and he gets grilled about his prejudices. He doesn't give a "we are the world" speech. Instead, he admits that when he sees a Black man, the first thing he notices is that he’s Black.
He basically argues that everyone has initial thoughts they can't control, but what matters is the second thought. And the third. And the actions that follow. It’s a nuanced take that most movies are too scared to touch. It acknowledges that bias exists in everyone, but it doesn't define them if they fight against it.
The Real-Life Impact of Kevin Costner’s Performance
Critics were split on the movie. Some felt it was a bit melodramatic. Others, like Scott Foundas from Variety, called it some of the "finest, most deeply felt work" of Costner's career.
Honestly, it’s the chemistry between Costner and Octavia Spencer that saves it from becoming a TV-movie-of-the-week. They don't hate each other. They’re just two people who are terrified of losing a little girl who represents the only piece of their children they have left.
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- The Cast: You've got Anthony Mackie playing a high-powered lawyer and Bill Burr (yes, the comedian) playing Costner's legal partner. It’s an eclectic mix that keeps the energy high even when the subject matter gets heavy.
- The Setting: New Orleans serves as the backdrop, though the story feels like it could happen in any city where the tracks divide the wealthy from the struggling.
- The Stakes: It’s not just about who gets the kid; it’s about whether these adults can stop using race and class as weapons long enough to see what the child actually needs.
Is Kevin Costner Actually Native American?
Because of movies like Dances with Wolves and his long-standing support for Native American causes, people often wonder about Costner's own heritage. He’s actually mentioned in interviews that he has some Cherokee ancestry on his father's side, mixed with Irish, German, and English roots.
This background probably explains why he’s so drawn to stories about cultural intersection. He’s spent a huge part of his career exploring what happens when different worlds collide, whether it’s the frontier or a modern-day courtroom in Black or White.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re going to sit down and watch this, don’t expect a thriller. It’s a character study.
Watch for the smaller moments. There’s a scene where Elliot tries to do Eloise’s hair and fails miserably. It’s funny, but it’s also a gut-punch because it shows how much he relied on his wife. The movie is full of these little "shades of gray" that the title almost ignores.
Your Next Steps
If you're interested in more of Costner's work that deals with these heavy social themes, you should definitely check out:
- Hidden Figures: Where he plays a NASA lead fighting against Jim Crow-era segregation within the space program.
- Dances with Wolves: The epic that redefined how Hollywood looked at the Western genre and Lakota culture.
- The Upside of Anger: Another Mike Binder collaboration that shows Costner’s range in domestic dramas.
The best way to appreciate Black or White is to go in expecting a story about flawed people trying to do their best. It won't give you all the answers, and it might make you a little mad, but that’s exactly why it’s worth the two hours.