This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

I have no idea why this movie was ever made. It's truly horrible. I mean what was the point? Lapsed Catholics are troubled people? None of the male characters is the least bit interesting or sympathetic. They are all total zeros. Given that the three brothers are absolute jerks, the contrived, blissful happy ending which is completely predictable is not in the least bit warranted in any of the three couples lives. The profanity is on a par with the number of beers consumed. I think I should have had a few before sitting down to this. The wife of the eldest brother who is married is about the only interesting character in the movie. She should apply for sainthood for sticking with a cheating husband. As far as I am concerned this is just more Catholic bashing from that Hollywood can not get enough of. Don't spend a minute watching this dreadful film.

THE BROTHERS McMULLEN (1995) ***1/2 Edward Burns, Mike McGlone, Jack Mulcahy, Maxine Bahns, Elizabeth P. McKay, Shari Albert, Connie Britton, Jennifer Jostyn. Sort of an Irish-American Woody Allen flick but with style and originality: Burns (who stars, wrote and directed) filmed this on a budget at $20,000 and won The Sundance Film Fest's Jury Prize after being passed on every level. Three close and quarrelsome Irish/Catholic brothers from Long Island confront sex, sin, guilt, infidelity, commitment and finally love in this delightfully funny and smart slice of life.

I don't really ask that much from a movie..just keep my interest, give me a reason to keep watching. I kept watching this but I don't know why. I was waiting for something to happen, something to show me that the TV Guide calling this 'charming' is justified.Edward Burns must have family that work for TV Guide.This movie is all the same thing...all just talk, talk, talk, and almost all of it is strikingly the SAME tone. Its like looking at one color for 90 minutes. Every single conversation starts out the same way and the same issues are discussed over and over and over. I was wishing for a drunk friend, a stoner down the street, SOMETHING to give this some life, because you only see the same seven people in the movie. No one seems to have any friends or do anything but examine their feelings. And no new ground in living in the world is ever covered..you've heard it all before, and by better actors, too.This is topped by a faux-Hollywood ending, the main couple kissing in the middle of the street as cabs go by..hey, anything to get the damn thing over with, but it reeks of desparation. 4/10.

Circumstances bring together two brothers under one roof in Long Island with their oldest brother Jack. Jack is happily married but is falling into a reckless affair, Barry is scared to commit and is threatening to be a bachelor for life while Patrick is a devote catholic who is struggling with the idea that his Jewish girlfriend has mapped his whole life out for him. Can they work out the differences between men and women and get their lives in order.This was Burn's first feature and was made on a total shoestring budget. However the grainy film style is not a bad thing and the film is made to feel lively by the rough nature and witty dialogue of the characters. The story is not exactly rocket science (men and women are different) and the ‘happy' ending is a little pat, but overall it works well. The stories are littered with plenty of wit and humour and is amusing if not fantastic.The performances are quite rough and ready. Burns is not great in the lead - he feels like a sub-par Woody Allen as he makes his observations etc. Mulcahy is OK but not great while McGlone is probably the best of the bunch. Connie Britton (best known for Spin City) holds her own and is good. But lets not forget this was never a top-notch film with the best cast available. That said, Burns and the rest's proximity to the material make them appear quite natural.Overall it's not earth shattering - it's quite slow and is rarely laugh out loud funny. At times you get tired of hearing the cast complain about their relationships all the time, but for the most part it has enough charm and wit to keep the interest.