'Uncle Frank': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about the Prime comedy road movie

The movie had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020, where it was vastly appreciated
PUBLISHED OCT 30, 2020
(IMDb)
(IMDb)

A new heartfelt comedy is arriving on Amazon Prime. A touching story about a man and his strained relationship with his father is explored in 'Uncle Frank'. The movie had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020, where it was vastly appreciated. At the 2020 Deauville American Film Festival, it won the Public Prize.

Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming movie. 

Release date

'Uncle Frank' is scheduled to be released on November 25, 2020, on Amazon Prime. 

Plot

According to the official synopsis of the movie, "In 1973, teenaged Beth Bledsoe (Sophia Lillis) leaves her rural Southern hometown to study at New York University where her beloved Uncle Frank (Paul Bettany) is a revered literature professor. She soon discovers that Frank is gay, and living with his longtime partner Walid "Wally" Nadeem (Peter Macdissi), an arrangement that he has kept secret for years. After the sudden death of Frank's father -- Beth's grandfather -- he is forced to reluctantly return home for the funeral with Beth in tow, and to finally face a long-buried trauma that he has spent his entire adult life running away from."

"Writer-director Alan Ball's heartfelt and hilarious road movie travels from the bohemian scene of post-Stonewall New York City to rural South Carolina, following Frank's painful journey from hitting rock bottom to acceptance and forgiveness and, finally, reintegration into his family and into life itself. Bettany reveals Frank's fragile core by peeling away the layers of Frank's sophisticated but guarded persona. Sophia Lillis plays Beth as a naive but observant young woman whose eyes are opened to a world she could never have imagined. Peter Macdissi also has a standout performance as Wally, a man whose capacity for compassion runs deeper than he even knows. Ball (known for his ensemble TV work on Six Feet Under and True Blood) also elicits strong turns from his superb supporting cast, including Stephen Root, Margo Martindale, Steve Zahn, Judy Greer and Lois Smith."

Cast

Paul Bettany as Frank Bledsoe

Paul Bettany of 'WandaVision' took part today in the Disney+ Showcase at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2019 in Anaheim, Calif. 'WandaVision' will stream exclusively on Disney+, which launches November 12. (Getty Images)

Bettany is known for his role as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films 'Iron Man', 'Iron Man 2', 'The Avengers', 'Iron Man 3', 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', 'Captain America: Civil War', and 'Avengers: Infinity War'.

Sophia Lillis as Beth Bledsoe

Sophia Lillis attends Netflix's "I Am Not Okay With This" Photocall at The London West Hollywood on February 25, 2020, in West Hollywood, California. (Getty Images)

Lillis is known for her role as Beverly Marsh in the horror films 'It' and 'It: Chapter Two', and in Netflix's 'I Am Not Okay with This'. The actress also appeared in the HBO psychological thriller miniseries 'Sharp Objects' and played the titular detective in the 2019 film 'Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase'.

Peter Macdissi as Walid “Wally” Nadeem

Peter Macdissi attends the 2020 Sundance Film Festival - "Uncle Frank" Premiere at Eccles Center Theatre on January 25, 2020 in Park City, Utah. (Getty Images)

'Uncle Frank' is not Macdissi's first tryst with Alan Ball - recurring character Olivier Castro-Staal on Ball's HBO series 'Six Feet Under'. Off-screen, the two are partners. In 2007, he appeared in 'Towelhead', a feature film written and directed by Ball.

Steve Zahn as Mike Bledsoe, Judy Greer as Kitty Bledsoe, Margo Martindale as Mammaw Bledsoe, Stephen Root as Daddy Mac, Lois Smith as Aunt Butch

Creator

The comedy-drama film written and directed by Alan Ball, who is known for writing the screenplay for 'American Beauty', for which he earned an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He also created the series 'Six Feet Under' and 'True Blood', for which he earned an Emmy as well as awards from the Writers, Directors, and Producers Guilds of America.

Trailers

You can watch the trailer below:



 

Where to watch

'Uncle Frank' will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video from November 25, 2020, onwards. 

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