THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN
A film review by Chad Polenz
Copyright 1997 Chad Polenz
*** (out of 4 = good) 1995, R, 98 minutes [1 hour, 38 minutes] [comedy/lighthearted drama] starring: Mike McGlone (Patrick), Jack Mulcahy (Jack), Edward Burns (Barry), Shari Albert (Susan), Jennifer Jostyn (Leslie), produced by Edward Burns, Dick Fisher, written and directed by Edward Burns.
The problem with religion and tradition is they can really cramp your love life. "The Brothers McMullen" is an original film that actually presents characters with situations all other movies ignore - the problem of trying to have a meaningful and passionate relationship but also have a set of [religious] morals. Is there any way to have both?
This is the story of three 20-something Catholic brothers going through some difficult times with women. Jack (Mulcahy) is the oldest of the GenXers, he is married but without children. The middle child, Barry (Burns) likes the single life, he's not a one-woman man and cannot understand the concept of love and commitment. Patrick (McGlone), the youngest, tries to live by God's words, but finds it very difficult as he is deeply involved with a Jewish girl and they may soon get married.
Burns really does an excellent job in defining the modern male: the man who is scared to make a commitment, but when he does it somehow turns out worse for him. Barry is a typical slacker, but he has a talent for writing,. When he breaks up with his long-time girlfriend he is left without a home and must crash at Jack's. As he tries to look for an apartment, it is "stolen" by a young woman about his age. Somehow they manage to hook up with each other, but Barry becomes scared of a commitment.
Barry's life is contrasted through Jack, who falls for a single woman and has an affair with her. Jack has been married for five years, but suddenly he starts to question the whole idea.
All of the brothers are portrayed as partially devoted Catholics, but they all have problems with their faith. They sometimes bend and change "the rules" to suit their own needs.
Even Patrick, the most morally upright brother, often becomes scared by love. His girlfriend wants him to move in with her, but he just can't do it. He claims it goes against his religion, but she thinks he's just using it as an excuse because he's really afraid of commitment.
Patrick and his girlfriend Susan (Albert) eventually split, and he is attracted to his neighbor, Leslie (Jostyn). Leslie says that she has lost faith in the church sighting its unrealistic expectations and rules, and that by following those rules, it has only harmed her life. This is true. Sin is much more tempting, and sometimes doing the "right" thing can make you miserable. How can anyone follow God's laws and still live a normal life in the 1990s? It seems like everyone has ignored moral issues like these a long time ago.
Burns' excellent screenplay and directing are what really made "The Brothers McMullen" good. We can really sympathize and relate to these characters. It asks questions we all have had, but doesn't try to give a answers to them. I don't know the answers either, but I'm thankful these characters are even wondering at all.
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