THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN
(R)
MOVIE: * (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5)
STARRING
Edward Burns as BARRY
Mike McGlone as PATRICK
Jack Mulcahy as JACK
Connie Britton as MOLLY
Shari Albert as SUSAN
Maxine Bahns as AUDRY
Elizabeth McKay as ANN
Jennifer Jostyn as LESLIE
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Directed by: Edward Burns
BY KEVIN CARR
I had a brief stint as an independent filmmaker about ten or fifteen years ago. As many indie filmmakers do, they look to previous independent films that became breakout hits. While I was knocking around this field, the films that were held up were Kevin Smith’s “Clerks,” Richard Linklater’s “Slacker” and Edward Burns’ “The Brothers McMullen.”
It was for this reason that I originally watched “The Brothers McMullen,” and I hated every minute of it.
This probably resulted from the fact that I was recently married, and I just had no taste for the glorification of adultery in the film. The story highlights an Irish family in New York who all deal with their own issues of sex and infidelity. One is cheating on his wife. Another is struggling with whether or not to get married. And yet another is entering into a new relationship and finding it difficult to tie himself to one woman.
“The Brothers McMullen” reeks of indie 90s filmmaking. It’s dialogue heavy with some truly terrible acting. But where films like “Clerks” had some charm that broke through that cynical veneer, “The Brothers McMullen” is just depressing. It’s poorly written, though it has the sense that it’s daring.
There’s a certain interest I have now, watching it again a decade and a half after first seeing it. It’s neat to see current stars like Connie Britton in her young and sexy newness. However, that’s not enough to make me want to relive the depressing lives of narcissistic assholes.
The Blu-ray comes with a commentary by director Edward Burns, the theatrical trailer and the featurette “Fox Movie Channel Presents: Fox Legacy with Tom Rothman.”