Exhibiting Forgiveness does what it says in the title. The plot moves when a repentant family member returns to the protagonist’s life to reconcile with them, and in doing so, there's hope that things would work out between them. Many a depiction would often treat this moment as a simple hurdle to jump over, but like what he does in other mediums, writer-director Titus Kaphar reconfigures this moment with a lived-in understanding of what other depictions gloss over. Through contrasting the present day actions of Tarrell with harrowing flashbacks of the past, and through an incredible cast, Exhibiting Forgiveness paints a more honest, heartwrenching depiction of what it means to truly forgive a parent.
Synopsis
Utilizing his paintings to find freedom from his past, a Black artist on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they learn that forgetting might be a greater challenge than forgiving.
Storyline
After gaining success from the art he made from his difficult childhood, acclaimed American painter Tarrell receives an unexpected visit from his estranged father La’Ron, a recovering addict hoping to reconcile.
TLDR
May everyone find the strength to forgive, whether or not that involves reconciliation.
What stands out
The characterization. Yes, La’Ron was an abusive parent driven by addiction, but his backstory, the way he understood that story, and the way Tarrell sees that story in a different light– with today’s norms, with today’s understanding– is what makes the characterization much more realistic.
