This is a very interesting premise. Probably the biggest silver screen treatment of this premise since the classic, An Imitation of Life. This movie is not without it's flaws but it is definitely well acted. I hear that the act of "passing" was quite common. Not everyone did so for the reasons Coleman Silk does to completely run away from a black identity. Others did so to support relatives, etc. However, I'm glad to see the topic being addressed on screen. Hopkins, Kidman, Harris, and Sinise make for a stellar cast. The elegant Kidman has the hardest job in being convincing as a woman from a lower socioeconomic class. I think she was very believable.
Review of The Human Stain
