Paul Bettany (center) in the lead roll of ‘Uncle Frank’ along with Sophia Lillis (left) and Peter Macdissi (right) in a scene from the film. The production is a project of Amazon Studios and comes from screenwriter and director Alan Ball. (Photo Credit: EPK TV)
“Uncle Frank” (Amazon Studios), the second full-length feature from gay, Oscar-winning screenwriter and director Alan Ball (“True Blood,” “Six Feet Under”), takes us back to the last half of the 20th century, and the less tolerant South.
Frank (Paul Bettany) escaped the strangulation of his southern roots and headed for Manhattan, where he could be himself. During a family visit, he bonds with his bright, young niece Beth (Sophia Lillis), whom he encourages to consider applying to college in New York when the time comes. His words of support pay off and she gets into New York University. But Beth’s education doesn’t only take place in the classroom, as she is soon immersed in the world of her uncle and hi