Kevin Costner sits at the center of “Black and White,” a film about the custody battle over his biracial granddaughter. At the opposite end of this entry into the Toronto International Film Festival is Octavia Spencer, as the young girls’ grandmother on her father’s side.
“I just see a story that I think is of its time that reflects our time,” said Costner in an interview with Wrap editor in chief Sharon Waxman at the Toronto International Film Festival. “It’s a modern look at where we’re at. So many children these days are products of biracial marriages. It’s just a fact of life.”
The custody battle emerges after the girl’s mother dies, and Costner takes over primary responsibility for her. Spencer wants joint custody, but Costner refuses. And so the case winds up in court for the climactic moments of the film.
See photos: The Scene at TheWrap’s Toronto Film Fest Video Lounge
As Costner put it, “Maybe the reason we don’t like each other is not because you’re black or white, maybe it’s because I just don’t like you. Now if I can move on to my second or third thought and I reveal myself to be a racist there, maybe that is who I am, but what happens is people aren’t able to get past their first thought.”
Also read: Kevin Costner Reveals Hollywood Wouldn’t Finance Racially Charged ‘Black and White’
Watch Costner’s thoughts in TheWrap’s video series from Toronto, presented by AMC Supper Suite. The film is written and directed by Mike Binder, and is up for acquisition.